Having a car accident can be traumatizing. Well after the initial shock of impact, much of an accident victim’s anxiety comes from worrying about potential injuries, the state of the damaged vehicle, and dealing with an insurance company. Record keeping is an essential part of minimizing this anxiety. In any legal matter, the strength of your case depends on the nature of your evidence. Dealing with your insurance company is a legal matter, and so the document gathering and record keeping process is essentially the same.
The first step in the record keeping process begins immediately after your accident. Always record all information about the accident, including the date/time, the location, a description of events, a description of damage to your vehicle, and a description of damage to the other vehicle. It is now exceedingly common for drivers to own smart phones with cameras built into them. If you happen to have one of these at the time of your accident, take pictures of both cars, the location where the accident took place, and any other evidence (such as skid marks on a road).
It is also important to take down the contact information for the driver of the other car. This should include his/her name, address, driver’s license number, phone number, and the extent of any injuries caused by the accident. Additionally, before you leave the scene of the accident, note the contact information of any witnesses to the crash. Write down their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, and any relevant additional information.
After you leave the scene of the accident, when you can get to a proper camera, it is important to take pictures of any injuries you may have suffered. Pictures are difficult to argue with, and they concretely demonstrate the severity of an accident. This is especially important if you have to undergo any surgery due to accident injuries. Some lawyers even recommend taking video of yourself in cases where everyday tasks have become more difficult due to your accident injuries. Sometimes demonstrating the complication that these injuries have brought to what used to be a simple task, such as doing laundry, can be a powerful way to relate the severity of an accident to insurance claims adjusters and jurors.
If your insurance company requires you to see a physician to have your injuries evaluated, always request your full medical file from the physician’s office. Keep your own records of all visits to your own physician and any specialists you may see. Also keep track of all billing for these visits and how the costs were covered.
Finally, when you speak with your insurance company, keep a record of all phone conversations. This record should include the date and time of the phone call, the topic that was discussed, and any agreements that were made. It should also include the name of the person speaking with you, and any reference numbers they provide you for these conversations. Keeping these comprehensive records make it more difficult for insurance companies to deal with you unfairly. Should your claim go to trial, this record keeping will also be very useful for the attorney representing your interests to build a compelling case.
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