Different attorneys gather evidence in different ways. A lot of car accident attorneys gather very little evidence other than medical evidence, like medical records. By contrast, an experienced accident attorney may have a full-time investigator on staff who is a former police officer who investigates car accidents. They talk to witnesses, look for security video from nearby businesses or other security cameras, perform background checks on defendants, and perform a well-rounded investigation of the entire case.
Evidence Variation
The evidence in a Chattanooga car accident case varies from case to case. For cases that occur at an intersection with a traffic signal, lawyers want a different kind of evidence. Witnesses in those cases are extremely important as far as who had the red light, who had the green light, and who had the right of way. For rear-end collisions, lawyers like to find evidence of what the person was doing inside the car that kept them from paying attention to what was happening in front of them.
For pedestrian accident cases, an attorney would want evidence of exactly where the pedestrian was, so they look for different kinds of physical evidence, witness evidence, documentary evidence, and video evidence depending on the type of case and the type of injuries that a person has. The number of resources put into gathering evidence also differs based on how severe the injuries are, making sure that expenses never exceed what the case justifies.
Process of Collecting Evidence in a Chattanooga Car Accident Case
The process for collecting evidence in a Chattanooga car accident case takes a lot of time, energy, and expertise. One would have to go to the scene and look for clues at the scene. An attorney may try to find people who may have been there, who are there frequently, and who know the parties involved. They try to find different sources of other types of evidence. They might try to find evidence of other collisions that have happened in the same place. An attorney wants background evidence in a Chattanooga car accident case on the defendant to determine if they have ever done this before. There is a lot of time, effort, and different places attorneys have to look to gather evidence.
The amount of time that it takes to collect evidence varies from case to case. Usually, it can be done within a period of weeks. As far as the physical evidence from how a crash occurred, the medical evidence takes longer because one has to wait until the medical treatment is completed, which usually spans a period of months or even years for severe injuries.
What people should know about the evidence gathering process is that there are a lot of methods and types of information available that people normally do not think about and that many lawyers ignore. A person wants a lawyer who is serious about investigating every case and building that case for trial. If a person prepares cases for trial, they get good settlements. If a person prepares cases to settle, they get bad trials.
What Steps Must a Chattanooga Car Accident Attorney Take Before Presenting in Court?
There are a lot of steps in litigation. It starts with a complaint. There is a written discovery usually that includes interrogatories and request for production of documents. Almost always, one takes the party’s depositions, including the client’s and defendant’s depositions. One must also have medical proof from a doctor or other qualified medical professional of exactly what the injuries are, what the medical damages are, and what the prognosis is. There are lots of steps that take quite a bit of time.
