Determining the facts in auto accidents can be difficult. Both parties may have an incentive to bend the truth or even outright lie. Moreover, even when parties are being completely honest, collisions happen so fast and unexpectedly that those involved rarely have a clear recollection of what occurred. All cases take a great deal of investigation, research and thought to piece together what actually happened within any reasonable degree of certainty. Nevertheless, doing so is often essential to allowing injured drivers, passengers and pedestrians to recover the compensation they need and deserve.
Our firm draws on a variety of sources in attempting to piece together how an accident occurred:
- Police reports
- Accident scene photos and diagrams
- Medical reports
- Photos of the involved vehicles
- Witness accounts
- Statements by involved drivers and passengers
- 911 recordings
- Phone records
- Vehicle maintenance records
Even all this information may not be enough to paint a full picture. Therefore, in highly complex cases, our lawyers may also call upon experienced accident reconstructionists to fill in the gaps. In accidents involving trucks or commercial vehicles, driver logbooks, cargo manifests and delivery schedules may also come into play.
Time is always of the essence following a serious accident. The telltale signs at accident scenes may dissipate from exposure to weather and traffic. Recollections may fade and witnesses may become more difficult to locate. The involved vehicles are usually either repaired or destroyed. The longer a victim waits to contact a Maryland car accident attorney, the more difficulty that attorney will have collecting evidence. Therefore, it is important for injury victims to act immediately.
