If you or someone you love suffered injuries in a car accident, you may be able to seek personal injury compensation. You could recover money for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, you will need evidence to support your claim.
Our firm’s car accident attorney in Belleville can assist with evidence collection after a car accident in Illinois. We can advise you on your legal options and help you build a solid case. The following guide can help you get started.
Take Photographs and Collect Evidence at the Accident Scene
If you are physically able, you should gather as much evidence as possible immediately following your car accident. Take photographs of the scene, the damaged vehicles, and your injuries. Photograph and collect crash debris. Make note of the date, time, and location of the accident.
Get Names and Contact Information for Witnesses and Involved Parties
You should obtain the names and phone numbers of the other drivers, their passengers, and any eyewitnesses. You should also get license plate numbers, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information from other motorists involved in the collision.
Report the Accident to Law Enforcement
According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), drivers must report accidents involving death, bodily injuries, or more than $1,500 in property damage to law enforcement as soon as possible. If you or someone else called an officer to the accident scene, the officer made a report. If an officer was not summoned, you must file a crash report with the ISP within 10 days of the collision. This report will be essential evidence in your case.
Save Medical Bills and Records
If you did not receive emergency medical treatment at the accident scene, see a doctor about your injuries immediately. Getting medical treatment will protect your health and generate a medical record that will be important for your claim. Follow your physician’s orders, attend all future appointments, and avoid participating in activities that could worsen your condition. Start a file and save all of your medical bills and records.
Keep Track of Your Accident-Related Expenses
If an at-fault driver caused your car accident and resulting injury, you may be entitled to recover financial damages. You will need to prove your losses. You should keep track of expenses related to the collision. You should also keep a daily journal tracking your physical pain and mental and emotional suffering.
In general, compensation may include:
- Medical treatment – including ambulance transportation, emergency services, surgeries, hospitalizations, doctors’ office visits, mobility aids, medications, medical equipment, physical therapy, and nursing
- Lost income – including lost wages, lost employment benefits, and lost future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering – including money for severe, permanent, and disabling injuries, stress, depression, anxiety, and diminished quality of life
- Wrongful death – including compensation for a fatally injured loved one’s medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, lost income, and lost services and support
Contact Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP
At Bartholomew, Shevlin & Flack, LLP, we can file a claim for compensation with the at-fault driver’s auto liability insurance. Contact us immediately, as policy deadlines can be short. If the insurance company refuses to offer you a full and fair settlement, you can seek damages with a lawsuit. Illinois allows two years to file most personal injury cases. If the statute of limitations runs out, you likely cannot sue. If you cannot take legal action, you lose your leverage over the insurance company. So, the time limit matters, even if you expect to settle outside of court.
Let us do the work so you can focus on healing. Our car accident lawyer serving Illinois can handle evidence collection and manage your case if you suffered injuries in a crash. Contact us online or call to learn more about our services during a free consultation.