To prove your case, you need enough evidence to show the jury that your claim is the truth. You only need them slightly more than 50% on your side, but even this low standard can require a lot of strong evidence.
Most car accident cases in Texas involve evidence such as medical records, vehicle appraisals, and bills/financial statements to prove the damages you faced. To prove fault, your testimony, testimony from witnesses, photos of the vehicle damage, and any other video or photos of the accident or scene are helpful. Our lawyers can help you collect most of this, but you should also collect evidence at the scene of the crash if you can.
For help with a case, call Cap City Injury Attorneys’ Texas car accident lawyers at (512) 612-3110 today.
Common Evidence Used in Car Accident Cases
To build a car accident claim, lawyers typically rely on the following pieces of evidence:
Photos
Photos of the accident scene and damage show a lot of things:
- The arrangement of the cars
- Where the damage is located on the vehicles
- The position of traffic signs and signals
- The shape of the intersection
- How severe the damage is
- Whether paint from one car ended up in the other car’s damage
- Details you might have missed, like road damage.
Because the crash scene is cleared quickly, photos of the scene are the best way to preserve the scene.
Police Reports
Police reports are not often admissible evidence at trial, but they contain a lot of information we can follow up on. Especially if you had to go straight to the hospital to get your injuries treated, this might be the best record of who was involved, what vehicles were involved, and whether any witnesses stopped to give statements.
Damage Reports/Appraisals
Repair shops can go over the car and list all damage related to the crash and how much it will cost. Because the vehicle needs to get repaired or sent to the scrapyard, this record and any photos of the damage will be all that’s left to prove the damage in court.
Medical Records
Similarly, your injuries need treatment. Medical records will therefore be the only thing left – along with photos – to show how severe the injuries were and what treatments were needed.
Financial Records
Much of the evidence in your case goes to fault, but the rest goes toward showing how much the case is worth. Evidence of your medical bills, lost income, and other economic effects is vital evidence.
Testimony
Your testimony, along with testimony from any witnesses, is the main thing we will present at trial to tell the story of what happened. Through your testimony on the stand, we can introduce other evidence like photos and video.
Other witness testimony from other witnesses who can back up your story is also helpful, especially from witnesses you had no prior relationship with.
Other Helpful Evidence
This evidence isn’t always available, but when it is, it can make your case much stronger:
Dashcam Footage
If you or another driver caught the crash on their dashcam, then that might explain the whole issue of fault in one video. We can use this footage even if you did not record it yourself, as long as we can show it accurately reflects what happened.
Security Camera Footage
Many homes and businesses have doorbell cameras and other security cameras today. If the accident was caught on camera, we may be able to request it from the camera’s owner.
Traffic Cam Footage
Most traffic cameras do not actually record footage. If your crash was caught on a camera that does record and store video, we can request it from the government.
Statements By the Defendant
If the other driver said anything that we can use against them, write it down or record it. Something like an apology is not usually strong evidence of fault, but an admission that they did not see you or that they had a few drinks can help us greatly.
What Evidence Do I Need to Collect Myself?
There are pieces of evidence that, if you cannot collect them at the scene of the accident, might be lost forever. The police might have some of this evidence in their police report, so if you are unable to stay at the scene and take photos, talk to witnesses, etc., we can still get some of this.
Your priority is always your health and safety, so if you have to go to the hospital, do not worry about collecting this info. If you can stay at the scene, gather the following evidence and information:
- Time and location of accident
- Road conditions
- Weather and lighting
- Photos of the accident, damage, and injuries
- Other driver’s contact info
- Other driver’s insurance info
- The make, model, and license plate number for all vehicles involved
- Witnesses’ contact info
- The responding officer’s department and contact info.
Can My Lawyer Collect Evidence for Me?
After an accident, you should focus on getting better. Our Austin car accident lawyers can worry about collecting the evidence we need to bring your case.
We can usually collect all of the following evidence for you:
- Police reports
- Vehicle appraisal reports
- Expert reports and analysis (e.g., vehicle reconstruction reports, doctors’ reports)
- Financial records from work and banks
- Security and traffic cam footage, when available.
FAQs for Evidence in Texas Car Accidents
Do I Need to Collect the Evidence Myself or Does My Attorney Do That?
There is some evidence that is best collected at the scene of the crash, like contact information for the other driver and witnesses. The same is true of photos of the accident scene and vehicle damage.
This kind of evidence would be lost if we cannot get it either from you or the officers at the scene. Your lawyers can collect most other evidence later.
Can I Still Win Without a Lot of Evidence?
Some crashes simply don’t have a lot of evidence, but there is usually more than you think. Your testimony, plus medical records and bills, would be the bare minimum. However, something like an appraisal of vehicle damage also tells us a lot about the crash, how the cars were positioned, and how the accident happened.
Do I Need Evidence of Damages?
On top of evidence of fault, you also need evidence of damages. This includes bills, pay stubs, and other proof of the costs, lost earnings, and other economic damages you faced.
Do I Collect Evidence Before or After Suing?
Our lawyers will need some basic evidence and information to file our initial complaint. Other evidence can be collected later to flesh out the case during the “discovery” stage of trial.
Call Our Texas Car Accident Attorneys Today
For your free case evaluation with the Round Rock, TX car accident lawyers of Cap City Injury Attorneys, call (512) 612-3110.