If you have been involved in a car accident and are seeking compensation for your injuries the insurance companies will be asking for various documents. This article is a resource to help gather basic documents to make your personal injury claim following a car accident.
Police Report / Traffic Collision Report
If the police respond to an accident scene and injuries are reported to the responding officer, there is a good chance that the officer will make a report. The police officer provides each party involved in the accident with an incident number. In many instances, paramedics respond to the accident scene and have to rush an injured party to the hospital in which case the police officer may not have an opportunity to provide an incident number to that individual. No matter the scenario, it is always prudent to call the law enforcement agency of the city in which the accident took place to request the report. When requesting the report, you will be directed to the records department who will request the incident report or alternatively the date of the accident and the individual’s name. Bear in mind it may take a couple weeks from the date of the accident before the report is completed by the particular department.
The police report may prove to be helpful to establish the at-fault driver if any dispute arises.
Repair Estimates and Photographs of the Vehicles
Following a car accident many people take pictures of the cars at the accident scene with their phones, these may be helpful to show the significance of an accident. Similarly, a repair estimate, repair bill, or total loss evaluation for the damage of your vehicle can help prove the significance of the impact. You are entitled to these documents from the evaluating entity and should obtain a copy upon completion of any given evaluation.
The significance of an impact can help a claimant prove that the accident was a cause of the injuries being claimed.
Medical Records and Bills
If you are injured you are receiving medical treatment for those injuries. The insurance company wants proof that you were injured if they are going to compensate you. The easiest way to prove injuries is by showing that you received medical treatment. The medical records will reflect your injuries and how long they lasted or were treated. Many of the major medical providers in San Diego have patient portals that allow patients to request and access records online:
Off work slips and Earning Statements
If you have missed work you will want to prove your loss of earnings. Even if you didn’t lose pay because you used sick days, medical leave, and/or paid time off you are still entitled to the loss of earnings. If medical providers have given you off work slips that is an easy way to show the days you were taken out of work. To prove your earnings, you can produce earnings statement. It may be helpful to produce a time range of earnings statements dating back to before your accident to show what your earnings were prior to the injury and subsequently the dip in earnings you suffered due to the time missed from work.
If you have been involved in a car accident and have questions please contact our Carlsbad car accident attorneys to learn about your rights. Your initial consultation is free and if you retain our services no fee will be payable to our firm unless we obtain compensation for you.