What Types of Evidence Might Be Used in A Car Accident Case?

Posted On December 14, 2016 In Local Car Accidents

Evidence in car accident cases can come from many different sources and parties. Personal injury attorneys can use this evidence to pursue claims against other drivers, auto parts and vehicle manufacturers, or businesses. Depending on the circumstances of an accident, evidence can vary. The following list can give you an idea of what types of evidence may be useful for a case.

4 Examples of Evidence in Car Accident Cases

1. Event data recorder: Event data recorders (EDRs) are onboard computers found in many vehicles. In some ways, EDRs are like a commercial aircraft’s black box. Newer EDRs may record speed, steering, force of impact, braking and acceleration at the time of an accident. If a motorist was speeding at the time of a crash, the EDR might have this action on record. EDRs can also spot auto defects in some cases, such as whether airbags deployed or brakes were working correctly. An attorney might be able to receive a court order to pull data from the EDR of an at-fault driver.
2. Surveillance footage: Video surveillance footage can be helpful evidence in a car accident case. For example, if an accident occurs as someone is making a left-hand turn out of a gas station parking lot. The gas station’s cameras may pick up a driver speeding through a stop sign. Intersection cameras may show a driver speeding through a red light and crashing into another vehicle. Some vehicles use dashboard cameras. It is also possible that witnesses recorded an accident on their smartphones. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to obtain footage the accident.
3. Social media posts: In the last few months, there have been several cases where motorists have caused accidents using Snapchat’s “speed filter.” This filter records how fast users were moving while taking selfies. One case involved a driver who slammed into another motorist while taking a selfie at over 110 miles per hour. The selfie was posted to the user’s profile.  In other examples, a person may snap Facebook photos of themselves drinking heavily at a party. If this person leaves the party minutes later and hits another driver, that post might also be used.  Depending on the circumstances, social media posts are useful evidence for proving fault.
4. Medical records: Plaintiffs in a personal injury case are seeking damages for their injuries, so medical records are of vital importance. These records are essential for showing the extent of injuries, the costs of recovery, and whether someone can return to work. Hospitals and other health care providers keep detailed financial and medical records for patients. Medical records can help calculate damages in a personal injury case.

Why You Should Not Wait to Hire a Car Accident Attorney

These examples are not an exhaustive list of the types of evidence that may be used for a personal injury case involving a car accident. Finding evidence may be much more difficult. However, the more evidence obtained, the better, as it helps tell a story of what happened.

It is essential to hire an attorney quickly after an accident so they can work on preserving evidence. If evidence is destroyed, accidentally or intentionally, it can hurt your ability to recover damages.

At Mike Love & Associates, LLC, our Texas car accident attorneys will give your case the personalized attention it deserves.