In all personal injury cases, contacting an attorney should be a priority. You have very little chance of securing the best possible settlement or judgment in court if you don’t work with attorneys, especially regarding negotiations with insurance companies. When they see that you lack legal representation, they rarely give you the respect you deserve. However, even before your case ends up in court or negotiations, there are important procedures to follow and time-sensitive evidence to secure. Today, we will look at a few unique scenarios where injured parties may need to take proactive measures to ensure the strength of their case before attorneys get involved.
Why the Timeline of a Personal Injury Case Matters
Personal injury cases can take months or even years, depending on the case’s complexity, and your attorneys will continuously look for new evidence that bolsters your case during this time. Even after negotiations begin, novel evidence can tip the scales and help you secure the compensation you are truly owed. However, not all evidence can wait this long.
Some critical forms of evidence, such as environmental conditions or temporary hazards, may change or disappear shortly after the incident. If these details aren’t documented quickly, they might be lost forever and weaken your case. This also applies to information you supply to the other side; if possible, do not divulge any possibly incriminating evidence to police or insurance companies that can harm your odds of winning before contacting a personal injury attorney.
Time-Sensitive Evidence Situations
If you are involved in an accident, the number one rule is not to jeopardize your health further. However, once everything is under control, there are definitely ways that you can bolster your case before an attorney can help. Some of the most common situations where initial decisions play a role in your case’s future strength include:
Car Accidents Involving Weather Conditions: Weather conditions can change rapidly, and the scene of a car accident might look entirely different within hours. Rain may dry up, snow might melt, or fog could clear. If weather played a role in your accident, detailed photos or videos of the scene at the time of the incident paint the clearest picture of your time-sensitive evidence to juries in the future. If there are witnesses, statements about the weather can strengthen your case by eliminating doubt about weather conditions.
Slip and Fall Incidents in Public Places: Slip and fall accidents in Florida often occur due to temporary hazards, such as a wet floor, spilled liquids, or misplaced objects. If liable parties aim to avoid responsibility, they can quickly clean up or remove evidence of the floor conditions, leaving little left. If you are injured, focus on yourself and your health. But, if others are with you or strangers witnessed the event, make sure someone is willing to back up your story and document the scene. You should still contact attorneys as soon as possible to preserve other forms of time-sensitive evidence, such as camera footage, that bad actors may hope to delete.
Injuries Resulting from Defective Products: When a product is defective and causes injury, the product itself is the most essential piece of evidence. However, faulty products might be repaired, replaced, or discarded if you don’t fully understand your rights and ability to seek compensation. If a defective product injures you, make sure to keep the product in its current state, along with any packaging, receipts, and manuals. Attorneys can help you document the details further, but remember never to act hastily regarding faulty products.
You will likely not succeed in your personal injury case if you have little to no evidence of the accident. Even if a car accident leads to chronic back pain, insurance agencies may argue that your own driving habits led to the crash and offer substantially less compensation as a result.
The team at Probinsky & Cole understands how important it is to respond to inquiries quickly to help injured parties in Florida after an accident. Call our team today to provide further details about your case and get the help you need.
