After getting into an unexpected collision, choosing the best personal injury attorney for you probably isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind. The most immediate concern after an accident should be ensuring the safety of everyone involved. Those involved should contact the police for both emergency medical assistance and to document the crash. Once the immediate concerns have been taken care of, it’s important to start thinking about hiring an attorney to represent you.

You Have a Limited Amount of Time to Pursue a Lawsuit in Pittsburgh, PA

While recovering physically and emotionally from your accident, you’ll need to quickly start thinking about how you will recover financially from your losses as well. It’s important to choose a legal representative as quickly as possible because accident victims are only provided a limited amount of time to pursue compensation from the responsible party in court. If you don’t file a claim within a certain time frame, then you could lose your right to pursue compensation at all.

Collecting Evidence in Accidents is Time-Sensitive in Erie, PA

Some types of evidence, such as medical bills and property damage estimates, can be collected and saved for later. Other types of evidence, which are often material used to assign fault in accident cases, must be collected in a timely manner or it could be lost forever. Examples of time-sensitive evidence that needs to be collected includes:

• Witness information and statements
• Photographs of damage to property
• Photographs of the scene of the accident (skid marks, debris, road conditions)
• Black Box Data from the at-fault driver’s car
• Surveillance video

Collecting these types of evidence needs to be done in a timely manner. Both black box data and surveillance video may be recorded over after a short period of time, so it’s important to contact the appropriate authorities and request the evidence shortly after your crash. Similarly, witness statements and photographs of the scene are considered more credible when they are obtained shortly after the accident.

Recovering Financially from Your Losses ASAP in Greensburg, PA

Collecting and preserving this important information may be critical in proving your losses. Hiring a personal injury attorney can help you maximize your compensation award by ensuring you collect and preserve this evidence as soon as possible. Without such evidence, you may be forced to settle for a reduced amount.

Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in Pennsylvania

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party, or their insurance company, to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at The Law Office of Mark A. Smith represent clients injured because of a car accident in Pittsburgh, Erie, Greensburg, Homestead, and throughout Pennsylvania. Call (412) 567-9598 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.