If you’ve experienced a personal injury in Florida and have not received sufficient compensation for your injuries and losses, it’s critical to collect as much evidence as possible to support your position. The stronger the evidence, the stronger your case and the greater your chances of just and fair restitution for the harm you’ve experienced.
Try to collect as much evidence as you can, but don’t wait until you think you’ve collected enough before you talk to an attorney. I know from my years of experience as a personal injury lawyer in Florida the kinds of evidence I will need in order to build a powerful case for you.
Strong Evidence for Your Case
Tangible evidence, something the jury or insurance attorneys can see, hear, or hold, is very powerful. In a personal injury case, that can include physical scars or other bodily damage that they can see, before and after pictures or videos of you, images from the accident, or other physical items. Non-tangible evidence makes up the bulk of most cases and comes in the form of documents, testimonies, and reports. All are critical for a strong case.
Police report: The police report provides an objective record of the accident or incident and often includes descriptions of the location and the event, testimonies from witnesses and parties involved, and physical evidence such as photographs or evidence from the scene (open liquor bottles in the car, for example).
Medical records and expenses: This includes reports from doctors’ visits, hospital stays, and therapy sessions, as well as records of test results, discharge instructions, prescriptions, psychologist reports, and medical expenses.
Photos and videos: Collect pictures and videos of the accident, the area around where the incident took place, as well as before and after images of you if the injury caused visible changes. This would include scarring or physical limitations.
Eyewitnesses and testimonies: The sooner you can collect eyewitness testimonies the better. This is why I recommend you contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can after an injury. When I take on a client, I immediately begin to search out strong evidence and will contact witnesses to the accident as well as those who know you well and can testify to the changes in your health since the accident or injury.
Documentation of lost income or other losses: Be sure to provide evidence of changes in income and benefits, lost work, and possible future limitations. You may also have had to make changes to your home or vehicles to accommodate your new physical condition, which would be additional expenses caused by the injury.
Weak or Problematic Evidence
Circumstantial evidence and hearsay, that which is not supported by documentation, is not enough evidence in itself to support your case. Eyewitness testimony that is collected some time after the event is not going to be as strong as testimony collected shortly afterward because memories fade or become confused over time.
Medical records that indicate an ongoing health problem before your injury may be used against your case by the defense or by the insurance company’s attorneys. It is critical that you share that information with me as soon as possible so that we can provide an appropriate counter-defense with medical examinations and expert witnesses.
I am dedicated to helping people who are injured in the state of Florida receive the compensation they deserve. I have compassion for my clients’ needs and the reputation among judges and insurance companies as an attorney who consistently wins. Please reach out to me to see how I can help you.