Gather the Evidence You Need to Prove Your Claim
Evidence is essential for proving a car accident claim, whether it’s for insurance purposes or pursuing a lawsuit. You need solid proof, like police reports, medical records, and photos, to clearly show how the accident happened and who may be responsible, and the right evidence will determine the strength of your claim.
The evidence you provide should support and verify your claims, as it helps the court identify who is at fault and determine the compensation a victim may receive. Proving fault enables you to hold the responsible party accountable, and the car accident lawyers at Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, can help preserve evidence, protect your rights, and build a strong claim so you can focus on healing.
Below, we explain the types of evidence that can strengthen your claim—and how we step in to gather what you may not be able to collect on your own.
Evidence Often Used to Prove a Car Accident Case
Whether your accident happened in Ohio’s at-fault system or Kentucky’s choice no-fault system, evidence is the foundation of proving what happened and protecting your ability to recover compensation.
Police Reports and Official Documentation
A police report is one of the most important pieces of evidence you can have, and you should immediately call the police after a car accident, even if the damage is minor. The police will complete an accident report, which will include essential information such as the date, time, and location of the accident, details of the involved drivers, diagrams of the collision, and witness information. If any citations were issued, they will be noted in the report, along with the officer’s observations and details about the weather and road conditions.
Insurance companies often rely on this report during claim investigations, and your attorney can use it to support your case. Calling the police doesn’t get anyone in trouble—it simply creates an official record that protects everyone involved and provides an unbiased account of the incident, which can help establish the facts and determine who is at fault.
Photos and Video Evidence
Photos and videos from the accident scene can reveal physical damage and help reconstruct the events that occurred. These images and recordings should include the vehicles involved, your injuries, and the surrounding area, such as debris on the road or traffic signals near where the crash occurred. If you have a dash camera, you can use its footage to show exactly what happened before and during the accident.
Take photos of your injuries as soon as possible, and continue documenting their healing progress to track both the severity of the injuries and establish a timeline of recovery. If you’re too injured to take photos, do not worry—our team can often gather scene footage, dashcam files, or business surveillance to fill in the gaps.
Witness Statements
Anyone who witnessed the accident can provide an account of what happened. Witness statements can be crucial in determining fault when drivers involved have differing versions of the incident, providing an objective, firsthand account of what happened. This is especially valuable if their statement supports your claims, as it can significantly strengthen your claim.
If possible, you can collect statements from witnesses by asking for their names and contact details, or even recording their account of what they saw. Witness statements are often included in police reports if officers speak with anyone present. Your attorney can contact witnesses later, even if you weren’t able to talk to them at the scene.
Medical Records and Injury Documentation
All medical records, bills, and other documentation of your injuries from the car accident can be used to support your claims and help establish the severity of your injuries, when they occurred, and your subsequent treatment plan.
Be sure to keep detailed records from hospital or emergency visits and regular doctor appointments, including your doctor’s notes, diagnoses, testing reports, and any prescriptions or therapy suggestions you receive. These documents—from appointments to bills—will create a detailed account of your injuries linked to the accident, the care you received, and the expenses involved, all of which can help determine the compensation you may be entitled to.
Vehicle and Property Damage
While property damage alone is not enough for a personal injury claim, it can support the evidence of how the crash happened. Keep all records related to your vehicle’s damage, including mechanic reports, repair estimates, receipts, and any documentation of a rental car or total loss. The damage to a vehicle can indicate where the collision occurred and the force of impact—both valuable pieces of evidence for proving fault and making a claim for compensation.
Accident Reconstruction and Expert Testimony
When you work with an attorney, you may also have access to specialists such as accident reconstructionists and medical or economic experts. Experts help explain things that aren’t obvious—like the mechanics of a crash or the long-term impact of an injury.
By studying vehicle damage and examining photos or videos from the accident, reconstructionists can effectively recreate the scene to determine what happened and who is at fault based on the available facts of the case.
Medical experts can also provide testimony about your injuries and the physical and mental impact the accident had on your life, while economic specialists can testify to the financial impact of the accident, such as calculating the amount of missed work and lost wages.
Why Evidence Matters in a Car Accident Claim
Insurance companies and courts rely on evidence to determine fault and liability in an accident, as well as the amount of damages a victim is entitled to. In a lawsuit, you must show that the other driver acted negligently and that their actions caused your injuries and losses.
For an Ohio accident, you need this evidence because it follows an at-fault system, making responsible parties liable for damages. With comparative negligence, you can still recover compensation if you are partly responsible, but the amount is reduced by your fault percentage.
Kentucky is a no-fault state, so drivers usually file claims with their own insurance company first. If your expenses exceed your policy limits, you can file a lawsuit, which then requires proving fault.
Strong evidence makes the claims process smoother, helps reduce disputes, and can lead to a higher final payout. In Ohio, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. In Kentucky, the deadline is usually one year, although it may extend to two years if no-fault (PIP) benefits apply.
The Support You Need to Stand Up to Insurers
Some evidence, like business surveillance footage, can be difficult to secure on your own, which is what makes a lawyer so important. An attorney can go the extra mile to secure available evidence before it’s lost, like speaking to witnesses, getting security camera footage, and providing additional strength to your claims by working with experts and accident reconstructions.
Insurance companies often try to minimize the amount they pay on claims, which can reduce the compensation you receive. Without strong evidence, insurers will dispute your claim, making it more difficult to recover. Your attorney will handle all communications with the insurance companies, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
The Car Accident Lawyers at Lawrence & Associates Are Here for You
With a car accident attorney from Lawrence & Associates, you can trust that your accident is being investigated thoroughly, evidence is being gathered, and your rights are being protected every step of the way. Your lawyer won’t back down from insurers, and if a fair settlement isn’t offered, we’ll take your case to trial.
At Lawrence & Associates Accident and Injury Lawyers, LLC, we understand the challenges you’re facing, and our experienced Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky personal injury attorneys can guide you on what to do—and what to avoid—so you don’t unintentionally harm your case.
Call us today at our Ohio office (513) 951-6723 or Kentucky office (859) 251-3045 for a free, confidential consultation, or fill out our online form to get started. We’ll handle the legal side so you can focus on healing.
