What Proof Is Necessary to Establish Fault in a Auto Accident Case?
Car accident lawyers understand what evidence is crucial in proving fault in an auto accident case. For example, they may gather police reports, photos and videos from the accident scene, and eyewitness testimony to prove another party’s negligence. They may even consult expert witnesses, like accident reconstructionists, to get to the bottom of what happened.
You do not have to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit on your own. You have the right to hire an auto accident attorney in Florida when pursuing compensation for your injuries.
Solid Evidence Determines Fault in an Auto Accident Case
When you file an accident claim in Florida, an insurance adjuster will determine fault after investigating the collision. Then, they will assign each party a percentage of fault for the crash. Florida follows a modified comparative negligence law, so you cannot pursue compensation if you were found more than 50% responsible for the accident.
A Florida auto accident attorney can help if an insurance adjuster attempts to shift blame for an accident onto you. They can conduct an independent investigation to counter an insurance adjuster’s findings. From there, they can negotiate for a fair settlement or move to take legal action against the liable party directly.
Examples of Crucial Evidence in an Auto Accident Case
You may not even know where to start when it comes to gathering crucial evidence to prove fault in an auto accident case. That’s fine. A fort lauderdale car accident lawyer can gather many types of evidence to support your case, including:
- The accident report
- Pictures and videos of the accident scene
- A vehicle damage assessment
- Accident reconstruction data
- Expert witness testimony
- Witness statements
- Dashcam footage, traffic camera footage, and potentially surveillance footage from nearby businesses
- Property damage receipts
It can prove difficult to obtain these pieces of evidence on your own. With a car accident attorney, you can focus on your physical recovery while they take care of evidence collection.
How You Can Support Your Auto Accident Case
While your attorney collects the more difficult evidence to obtain, you can support your auto accident case by keeping records of certain things. For example, you can hold on to any hospital bills and medical records you receive during treatment, and you can document your physical injuries by taking pictures of them. You can also write down your version of the events surrounding the accident while your memories are still fresh.
This will help you prepare to make a recorded statement for an insurer. Your car accident attorney can also prepare you if you need to do this. In general, you should stick to the facts and avoid making any speculation on who bears the fault for the accident. An insurer may take anything you say out of context, so it’s best to stick to the facts, such as the time and date of the accident and the vehicles involved.
Your Auto Accident Attorney Can Help You Meet Legal Deadlines
If you choose to take legal action against a liable party, you should know that you have a limited amount of time to do so. According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, you generally only have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss this statute of limitations, you risk seeing your case entirely dismissed by the court.
You benefit from starting your case immediately. Certain procedures, such as investigating the accident and negotiating with an insurer, do not stall this deadline. The sooner you start your case, the better a fort myers car accident lawyer can protect your right to take legal action.
You Can Hire an Auto Accident Attorney on Contingency
You may be worried about how you’re going to afford a fort lauderdale personal injury lawyer. You should know that some law firms (including ours) work on contingency. They can start your case immediately without charging any upfront fees or hourly rates. They simply take a percentage of your potential compensation at the end of your case. This allows you to seek compensation without incurring additional financial losses. It also gives you peace of mind, knowing that your attorney is working hard on your case.
Our Auto Accident Attorneys Can Gather Crucial Evidence for Your Case
At the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, our legal team stands ready to seek fair compensation for your car accident injuries. We can explain more about what evidence is crucial in proving fault for an auto accident and get to work gathering it for your case. As noted, we operate on a contingency-fee basis, so we can start working on your personal injury claim immediately. We can explore your options during a complimentary legal consultation. Call us at (954) 633-8270 to get started.
