Auto accidents undoubtedly result in disabling injuries, some of which are lifelong and cause persistent issues. About 85 auto accidents occur in Phoenix daily, adding up to an astounding average of over 30,000 collisions annually. These figures include a broad spectrum of collisions, from less serious ones like fender benders to more serious ones that cause injuries or even fatalities. Phoenix’s high rate of auto accidents is a sobering reminder of how important it is to drive defensively and pay close attention to your surroundings.
Skilled and successful Phoenix car accident lawyers will possess the essential resources to assist a car accident victim in investigating the circumstances surrounding their collision, substantiating the legal aspects of their case, and trying to maximize the total financial compensation they would recover from the case.
Access to forensic tools, safety analyses, and vehicle testing may be among those resources. Access to specialists, such as those in the fields of economics, medicine, and auto manufacturing, may also be necessary. These experts can all testify to your cause during a civil jury trial or deposition.
While the situation regarding accidents can vary from case to case, this article discusses some basic things to remember.
How To Go About Investigating a Car Accident
It might be challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of a car accident and the responsible party in some situations. In those cases, your car accident lawyer may hire one or more specialists to provide reports or serve as witnesses in your lawsuit or personal injury claim.
First, the circumstances surrounding your vehicle accident may already have been investigated by the police department. After an accident, the responding police officer would typically write an accident report outlining their observations made at the scene of the collision as well as a narrative account of what happened (generally based upon what the involved parties informed them).
The report may contain a schematic illustration of the accident site and other information on whether the at-fault party received a citation from the officer (including the reason for the citation, if applicable). Getting a copy of the police report is one of your lawyer’s initial tasks in the accident investigation procedure. If the witnesses’ names and addresses are on the police report, your attorney can also contact them.
Hiring an Independent Investigator
Your auto accident attorney can hire an independent investigator to testify in court and gather facts for a police investigation report.
An expert can help by investigating the facts surrounding the accident, reviewing the scene, and collecting and analyzing impact and skid marks, vehicles’ final resting places, and other tracks left by the damaged vehicles.
An investigator can also do a visual examination of the involved cars to look for any mechanical issues that might have contributed to or caused the subject car crash. These issues could include problems with the lighting, tires, or brakes. A skilled investigator can examine all of this data to ascertain the precise cause of your accident and the responsible party.
Finally, your car accident attorney can contact a medical professional who can testify in your case. A medical professional can corroborate, to a realistic degree of medical certainty, that you endured at least one physical injury as a direct and proximate outcome of your car accident.
Final Thoughts
The insurance companies in Phoenix allow you to start the insurance process only within two weeks from the time of the accident. However, a lawsuit claim can be filed up to two years after the accident.
Hence, it is always safe and smart to hire a qualified attorney who understands the nuances of car accident laws in Phoenix and can weigh in on them to bring you just compensation.
