Immediately following your car collision with another driver, your flight or fight mode may be activated. With this, you may feel the sudden urge to flee the scene and put this horrible event behind you. However, it is extremely important, not to mention your legal responsibility, to remain put. What’s more, dealing with this situation head-on may best serve you for your potential, future personal injury claim. Read on to discover what evidence you need to collect immediately after your accident and how a seasoned Panama City car accident attorney at Manuel & Thompson, PA can help you manage it afterward.

What evidence do I need to collect immediately after my car accident?

You must understand that the bulk of the evidence you need for your personal injury claim can be found at the car accident scene itself. Without further ado, the pieces of proof you must make an effort to collect at the scene are as follows:

  • A copy of the car accident report conducted by the law enforcement officer who responded to your 911 call.
  • Photos and videos of your bodily injuries, your car damage, any external objects that contributed to the crash, and the overall scene.
  • Oral and written testimonies made by eyewitnesses who saw the events leading up to the crash go down.
  • Recordings of any apologies or admittance of fault by other drivers involved in the car accident event.
  • Copies of photos taken by eyewitnesses or surveillance camera footage taken at neighboring properties or intersections.

Of note, it is strongly encouraged that you accept medical attention from first responders dispatched to the scene. This is because they may soon transport you to the emergency room via an ambulance. Here, you may collect additional, critical evidence for your claim, such as copies of doctor’s notes, test results, bills, etc.

What should I do with this evidence afterward?

You must stay organized as you prepare to bring your personal injury claim forward. This means that as you are collecting relevant pieces of tangible evidence, you should get into the habit of storing them in a physical file. Then, you must store this physical file in an easily accessible yet safe place.

In turn, you must share all copies of your collected evidence with your employed personal injury attorney. This is so they may ensure that this important information does not get accidentally lost, along with determining what pieces of proof are missing, if any.

Lastly, keep in mind the statute of limitations for your personal injury claim (i.e., two years from the date your car accident event took place). This is to say that you must be productive in collecting this evidence. Plus, you must immediately drop everything and call a competent Panama City auto accident attorney from Manuel & Thompson, PA.