If you want to become a plaintiff in a personal injury claim, you need proof of the defendant’s negligence in your accident event. Otherwise, the validity of your claim gets severely compromised. So with that being said, follow along to find out what proof you need to collect for your claim and how one of the proficient Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA can help you execute your duty on time.
What proof do I need to have for my personal injury claim?
Basically, any piece of relevant evidence you can get your hands on may be important to bring forward alongside your personal injury claim. But depending on the exact type of accident you were involved in, certain pieces of evidence may put you at a greater advantage in your claim proceedings. More specific examples of this notion are as follows:
- If you were involved in an auto accident: you may want a copy of the official accident report written by the responding law enforcement officer.
- If you were involved in a slip and fall accident: you may want a copy of the security camera footage that captured your accident playing out on the premises.
- If you were involved in a product liability accident: you may want to save the product that caused you injury, alongside its labels and packaging.
- If you were involved in a medical malpractice accident: you may want to save copies of your prescription slips, alongside your patient documents, test results, bills, etc.
How long do I have to collect this proof for my claim?
The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim such as yours is two years from your accident date. So this is how long you have to collect proof to submit alongside your claim. While this may seem like plenty of time, you must account for certain pieces of proof that are more difficult to obtain than others. For example, if you want a copy of security camera footage, you may need a legal representative to intervene to get the rights to it.
What’s more, you should not assume that you can only bring forward evidence of the economic and non-economic damages you have already incurred. That is, you should not wait until you have reached a full recovery to file your claim. If you do, you may risk missing the deadline. Rather, you should also provide evidence of the future damages you anticipate. This may be done through expert testimonies by your treating medical professionals, who know how long your future medical care will take. Also, you may use your past pay stubs to calculate your expected, future lost wages.
Contact one of the talented Panama City personal injury attorneys to gain the emotional and legal support you require during this pivotal time. Our team at Manuel & Thompson, PA looks forward to helping you.
