Technology has changed how we respond to events in our lives. This includes how we respond when we have been involved in an auto accident. Today’s mobile phones are equipped with cameras that we can use to gather evidence at the scene of the accident.
Here are 7 ways to use your smartphone to collect information, gather evidence, and preserve your right to compensation:
1. Call 911
The first thing you should do after an accident is to make sure that you and anyone else involved in the accident gets the medical attention they need. Use your smartphone to call the police and emergency medical personnel to the scene of the accident.
2. Take Pictures and/or Video of the Scene of the Accident With Your Smartphone
Once the vehicles are moved and the streets are cleaned, all of the evidence will be gone. Having a picture or a video of how the scene looked immediately after the accident will be a huge advantage to you when you have to present evidence to an insurance company, a judge, or a jury.
3. Take Pictures and/or Video of the Vehicles
Use your smartphone to take pictures or record video evidence of the damage to each vehicle involved in the accident.
4. Record the Others Driver’s Insurance and License information
Use your smartphone to take pictures of the other driver’s information i.e. their name, address, driver’s license, and insurance details.
5. Record Witness Information
Once witnesses leave the scene of the accident, you may not be able to locate them again. So, record their phone numbers, home addresses and perhaps take photos of their driver’s licenses as well. You can also record a video statement from the witnesses if they let you. This way, you can preserve their account of how the accident happened.
6. Take Pictures of Your Injuries
Use your smartphone to take pictures of any visible injuries you have sustained, either while you are still at the scene of the accident or shortly thereafter. Cuts and bruises may heal with time, but pictures will document and preserve them for use as evidence of how bad your injuries were immediately after the accident.
7. Take Your Own Personal Statement
To keep the circumstance that led up to the accident fresh in your mind, you may want to use your smartphone to record audio or video of your own personal statement.
If you are involved in an accident and don’t do these things, you may not have enough information to bring a claim for compensation. Nor will you be able to defend yourself when the other parties involved blame you for the accident. Protect yourself by using your smartphone to preserve evidence and your right to compensation.
For more information about what you should do when involved in an auto accident in Nebraska, call an experienced Nebraska personal injury attorney.