Maryland requires that the plaintiff in a car accident case provide evidence that’s sufficient for a reasonable jury to find it meets the burden of proof. If there isn’t enough evidence, the judge might not allow a jury to make a decision on the case.
Photographs and videos
One of the most important things to do after car accidents is take photos and videos of the scene. This allows accident reconstructionists to piece together what happened, which helps determine who is responsible. Take pictures of the injuries of all people in your vehicle and the placement of all vehicles involved in the accident. You’ll also need to capture license plates, driver’s licenses, broken glass, debris, marks, your vehicle’s condition and the weather conditions. If there are road defects, snap a photo of them as well.
You may not always be in the condition to gather this on-scene evidence, so inform your loved ones of what to do if you are in an accident. It’s important to promptly gather the evidence as soon as possible. Ideally, you want the evidence before anyone moves their vehicles. However, if a friend or family member didn’t arrive on time, they should still take pictures of anything they can, including remaining debris.
Eyewitnesses
If someone saw the accident happen, you should ask them for a written and signed account of the accident. Collect their contact information as well. Assuming they have the time to wait on the police to arrive, they should give their account of what happened to the police too.
Official police report
You need to file an official police report after an accident. As long as you’re in the condition to do so at the scene, you should. Write down the name and badge number of the police officers who arrive, and obtain a copy of the police report for your records.
Medical records and property damage bills
You’ll need to keep records of your medical visits, health symptoms since the accident and property damage bills. This will help the court assess how much damage you experienced from the accident to calculate a fair compensation. Remember to record the emotional aspects of your health symptoms not just the physical. You could receive compensation for the emotional damage.
Collect all of the evidence you can after a car accident to protect yourself and contact an attorney who can use it to potentially build a case. The four areas above will help you put together a strong argument.
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