If you are involved in a situation where you are seriously injured by the negligent misconduct of another, you can take certain actions to preserve or collect evidence that may strengthen your case. One of the first things you should do if you are injured by a dangerous product, a serious auto accident, a construction accident or a the negligence of a medical provider is quickly contact an experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyer who will takes steps to make sure that evidence necessary to build you lawsuit is collected and preserved. The lawyers at NST Law recognize the importance of taking prompt action to ensure that critical evidence in a Tennessee personal injury case is not destroyed. However, there are step an injured party or their family can take prior to retaining an attorney which may make a case more valuable or easier to prove.
One of the first steps that a injured person can take to help a prospective Tennessee personal injury lawyer gather evidence is to seek prompt medical attention if one is injured. Many people who are injured by the negligent misconduct of another fail to obtain prompt medical attention and treatment. Most Tennessee personal injury attorneys will advise that one seek prompt medical diagnosis and treatment because the medical records may be critical evidence later in helping establish the extent of your injuries and the appropriate level of compensation that should be awarded. NST Law attorneys may also have you seek further medical treatment but this does not make it any less important to seek medical diagnosis and treatment immediately following an injury related accident.
If a person is injured by any sort of defective product, whether it is an automobile, electronic device, toy or some other product, it is important that you preserve all of the product parts and preserve the wreckage of any vehicle even if it has been totaled. Preserving the condition of your vehicle immediately following a serious auto accident will help facilitate later investigation and accident reconstruction efforts. NST Law routinely uses accident reconstruction experts to develop evidence and theories for litigation. A person who is injured can also aid their Tennessee personal injury lawsuit by creating a paper trail including the preservation of receipts, maintenance records and recall notices. It is also recommended that the victim of a Tennessee personal injury accident collects relevant news articles, news stories and keep a personal journal to aid ones recollections of an incident. The period between a serious auto incident that causes catastrophic injury or death and the resolution of a case can take as long as several years which makes it important to use a journal or notes to help preserve ones memory of events.
A person who is injured by a defective vehicle must take steps to insure the condition of the vehicle is not changed after the accident. If the vehicle must be transported, the minimum amount of transport possible is recommended. Storing a defective vehicle in covered storage such as a car port or fully enclosed garage may help preserve critical evidence. The vehicle should also be covered by something like a tarp. Tie-downs should not used to secure the cover as they can create scratch marks that interfere with later accident reconstruction. Defective parts of the vehicle which may include tires, braking systems, seat belts, child restraint systems or other parts of the vehicle should not be removed without ones attorney or representative present to ensure that evidence is not compromised. Photos of an accident site, the surrounding area at the time of the accident and the condition of ones vehicle may also be useful later. At NST Law, we may commission an investigator to obtain photographs in order to help prove a case.
The most effective strategy to gather or preserve evidence of a personal injury accident is to contact an experienced Tennessee personal injury lawyer immediately following the incident. NST Law is the largest personal injury law firm in Tennessee. The attorneys at NST Law have years of experience assisting those injured by the negligence or intentional misconduct of others. At NST Law, we will take immediate steps to ensure that critical evidence is preserved once you have retained our office. NST Law attorneys have been nationally recognized by Super Lawyers, which rates the top 5% of lawyers in the country.