How To Win Your Car Accident Case In North Carolina

In 2017, North Carolina had the fifth highest number of fatal car accidents in the entire US. Car accident victims and their relatives will feel a lot of emotional, physical and psychological pain. In addition to all that, car accident victims and their relatives have to deal with the prospect of facing the guilty parties and their insurance company in court. Therefore, they need to gather as much evidence as they can to ensure that the guilty parties will pay for what they did. Here is a list of things that North Carolina car accident victims will need to win their case:

1) Pictures and videos

If you were able to survive the crash, take out your phone as soon as you can to document what happened. Take pictures of the entire scene, as well as the road and weather conditions. An insurance company or well-coached hostile witness can lie or insist the accident was caused by an “act of God” as a way to deny your claim, which is why you need to preserve as many details as possible.

If you have a dashboard camera onboard, the videos it took may shed some light on what really happened before, during and even after the accident. Relatives of car accident victims can use a dashboard camera and the videos it took as evidence. You can also check CCTV cameras from establishments and law enforcement agencies in the area. Videos uploaded to social media by people who were on the scene when the accident happened can also be useful.

2) Eyewitnesses

Suppose you don’t have a dashboard camera or there weren’t any CCTV cameras near the place where the accident happened. Suppose your relative was killed in the accident or was in no condition to take photos or videos when it happened. What should you do? In that case, you can look for bystanders who witnessed the accident. Record their statements about what happened before, during, and after the accident. You can also ask them for their contact details should they be willing to testify in court. You just have to track down witnesses as soon as possible so that you can talk to them while the incident is still fresh in their minds.

3) Accident reports and police documentation

Officers from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol or the local police department of a county are usually the ones who respond to car accidents. They will most likely have documented the scene through pictures and written descriptions. If there was no one else on the scene who can serve as a witness, the police have valuable documentation that you can use as evidence. You can try to get a copy of their incident report.

4) Medical bills, doctor’s report, and bills related to vehicle repair

You also need to get a copy of your doctor’s report and any medical bills that have to do with the injuries you or your relative sustained in the accident. Bills covering the repair of your vehicle are also important as they will serve as additional evidence. In addition to all the aforementioned kinds of evidence, these bills and such will make it easier for you to obtain a favorable outcome in court.

5) Personal injury lawyer

Nothing beats a personal injury lawyer in North Carolina who personally knows the techniques insurance companies use to deliberately shortchange or withhold compensation for car accident victims. You’ll need a personal injury lawyer who knows all about the inner workings of an insurance company so that you’ll get the most compensation that the law provides.