Careful investigation is necessary to accurately determine fault and liability for car accidents.
When a car accident happens, there is typically a lot of finger-pointing as all parties try to blame the others for causing the accident. Fortunately, with careful investigation it is possible to get to the truth and make sure the responsible parties are held liable for their actions. Here are three types of investigations that go on in the typical car accident case.
Police Investigation
Car accidents involving property damage or injuries need to be reported to the police. If the accident was serious enough, officers may actually come to the scene of the accident to take a report. They will question witnesses and record details about the property damage and injuries suffered by each party. They may also assign fault for the accident. The police report will be available to your auto accident injury attorney and the insurance company’s representatives, who will refer to it when deciding whether to pay your claim. If the police report contains inaccuracies or incorrectly assigns fault to you, do not worry. Your attorney can help get the report corrected and/or secure evidence to challenge it.
Insurance Investigation
Insurance companies will also conduct their own investigation into the circumstances of the accident, looking for any evidence that could exonerate their policy holder and free them from legal liability for your injuries. Insurance companies will also investigate your injuries. They will want to see copies of your medical records and they may ask you to visit an “independent” medical professional in order to get a second opinion on the nature and severity of your injuries. This step is necessary to weed out fraudulent claims made by individuals who are not injured or are less injured than they claim. Unfortunately, insurance companies can take weeks or even months to complete their investigations, which will of course delay the resolution of your auto accident injury claim.
Independent Investigations
Other parties involved in the accident may also conduct their own independent investigations to gather evidence pertaining to the accident. As the accident victim, you will definitely want to do this. Your investigation should start as early as possible following the accident. Ideally, you would be able to take pictures or video of the scene of the accident before the vehicles are moved from their original positions following the accident. Your auto accident injury attorney can help you analyze this evidence to determine fault for the accident—perhaps with help from an auto accident reconstructionist.
Need Help with a Car Accident Claim?
Remember, if you have been injured in a car accident, Fernando D. Vargas is here to help as your auto accident injury attorney. Call us at 909-982-0707 and request a free initial consultation to go over your case with Attorney Vargas and learn more about your potential for securing compensation.
