Experiencing a car accident can be a traumatizing event. If there are injuries, your first priority should be getting care from a medical professional. But as you undergo treatment, surgery, or physical therapy, you might wonder: how do I gather evidence after the fact? What can I do to make sure my case is fair?
That's where having a team of legal professionals on your side becomes crucial. When you've been injured in a car accident, you may be able to rely on technology to help strengthen your case — and below, we review the different types of technology that might be at your disposal after a crash. When you file your personal injury claim, your attorneys will review the facts, with the help of technology.
Cameras
Cameras — video and photos — provide key evidence for a case. Camera technology has come a long way in the past couple of decades. Whether it's security-camera footage, dash-camera footage, or traffic-camera footage, it can provide useful evidence — especially if you need to prove that the other party was negligent or at fault. (According to DSC, security-camera footage falls into three categories: the home, the workplace, and the public; a car-accident case often needs footage from public cameras to establish fault.)
Footage can clearly show how your accident happened — whether the other party ran a red light, cut you off, or made a wrong turn — and can even capture the driver's speed and the weather conditions. Speed is commonly a factor in accidents:
In addition to camera footage, attorneys will gather witness statements and photos of the scene. The more evidence you have, the stronger your case will be — and the team at Morrison & Hughes won't back down from the extensive research needed to put your claim together.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality? Yes, really. Virtual reality is, per Merriam-Webster, an artificial environment experienced through sensory stimuli (such as sights and sounds) provided by a computer, in which one's actions partially determine what happens in the environment.
So how does this connect to your car-accident case? When attorneys collect information — a process called discovery — they may rely on tools to recreate the accident and find out exactly what happened. Alongside photographic evidence, video, and witness statements, recreating the accident can be very useful. Using virtual-reality techniques, attorneys can simulate the accident by mapping out road conditions (to determine whether weather or time of day was a factor) and reconstruct the events to determine physical impact. It's a cutting-edge visual aid that lets everyone involved — you, your legal team, the negligent party, the insurance company, and the court — see exactly how the accident occurred.
Medical Imaging
Another common technology used in car-accident cases is medical imaging. After you've sustained injuries, it's common to get X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs to determine the extent of your injury. Imaging lets healthcare professionals see the internal effects of the accident — beyond the cuts, scrapes, and bruises — and can help diagnose a concussion, traumatic brain injury, fractured bones, or internal bleeding.
When you file your claim, it must help prove not only that you're injured, but that your injury was directly caused by the accident. Because internal injuries aren't always immediately apparent, it's crucial to see a medical professional as soon as possible after a crash. If you aren't seen soon, your injury may worsen — and it may be harder to prove it was caused by the accident if you haven't documented it. Early intervention means a smoother recovery; it also means a stronger case.
That's why it's so important to have a team that doesn't back down against insurance companies. After an accident, insurers will do all they can to settle a case as quickly — and for as small an amount — as possible. At Morrison & Hughes, we take the time needed to acquire the proper documentation, do the research, and prove your injury so that you can pursue the compensation you deserve.
The Takeaway
When you've been injured in a car accident, you need a team that won't back down from insurance companies or lowball offers — a team that will leverage every resource at its disposal. Technology can be an extremely useful tool for making your personal-injury car-accident case as strong as it can be. Whether it's camera footage, virtual-reality techniques, or medical imaging, we use everything we have access to and, with our knowledge of the law, work to get you the compensation you deserve.