After an accident it is important to find and preserve evidence of what happened. The NY personal injury lawyers of Law Offices of William J. Maniatis, have provided this article with tips about preserving the evidence for your personal injury lawsuit.

First and foremost, call or e-mail us immediately. Our consultation is free and we can help you figure out exactly what to do first. Very often, we send investigators and/or experts to the scene to insure that we preserve the scene as it was when the accident occurred and before the defendant can fix of change it.

However, if you are unable to contact us, here are a few tips:

Return to the scene of the accident as soon as you are able, in order to find any evidence or photograph any conditions that may have contributed to the accident. Take photographs of the accident scene at the same time of day and week as the accident occurred, and from various angles, particularly your view right before the accident. You can also speak with someone who may have seen what happened or knows of other accidents occurring in the same spot. Witnesses can be immensely helpful to your case, but memories fade quickly, so make sure to confirm their information quickly. You may be able to find something you were not aware of at the time of the accident, such as a drip causing water pooling or a broken traffic light. This planning and documenting can help you win your settlement with the insurance company.

Physical evidence is something you can see or touch that might tell who was at fault for the accident. This could be a broken stair that caused a fall injury, or a dent in car showing where it was struck. Physical evidence can also help prove the extent of an injury. For example, the extent of damage to the vehicle can illustrate how hard a collision was. Preserve as much physical evidence as you can. If you cannot preserve an object, take photographs of it.

Documenting your injuries is the crux of a personal injury case. Promptly report all of your injuries to a doctor or other medical provider so that they can be properly cared for and documented. Photograph any visible marks, cuts, bruises, casts, or other devices. If you do not document your injuries quickly, with doctor’s reports or photographs, visible injuries will heal and lead an insurance company to believe they were not so serious or that you exaggerated them after the accident.

For more information about personal injury claims in New York, click here or call Law Offices of William J. Maniatis today at (212) 248-5060 to speak with an NYC accident lawyer.