8 Documents to Give Your Attorney For Your Accident Case
After an accident, explaining what happened to your attorney is an important first step. But explaining the details of the accident only paints part of the picture. Physical documents can help show how the accident happened, the injuries you suffered, the treatment you received, and how those injuries have affected your life.
You don’t need to have every document gathered before speaking with an attorney, but providing the information and records you already have can give them a starting point when building your case.
If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, schedule a free case evaluation online or call Cellino Law at 888-888-8888 to discuss your legal options.
Key Takeaways About Documents for an Accident Case
- Medical records and bills can document your injuries, treatment, and related expenses.
- Police and accident reports may provide important details about when and how the incident occurred.
- Photos and videos can preserve evidence from the accident scene, including property damage, hazardous conditions, and visible injuries.
- Insurance documents and communications can help your attorney understand available coverage and what has already been discussed with an insurer.
- Employment and income records may be important if your injuries caused you to miss work or affected your ability to earn income.
- If you are missing a document, tell your attorney. They may be able to obtain a copy or identify other evidence that can support your case.
1. Medical Records and Bills
Medical records might be one of the most important sets of documents in a personal injury case. They provide a record of the injuries you were diagnosed with, the treatment you received, and how your condition changed after the accident.
Records created soon after an accident may also help establish when your symptoms began. Your attorney may want to review documentation from your initial treatment as well as records created throughout your recovery.
Useful medical documentation may include:
- Emergency room or hospital records
- Doctor and specialist visit summaries
- Diagnostic imaging and test results
- Physical therapy records
- Prescription information
- Medical bills and receipts
- Records of future treatment recommendations
Continue saving medical documents throughout your case rather than only gathering records from your initial appointment. Follow-up visits, therapy, specialist care, and changes to your treatment plan can provide a more complete picture of your recovery.
2. Police Reports and Other Accident Reports
An official accident report can provide important contaxt about the accident, including when and where an accident occurred, who was involved, and what was observed or reported at the scene.
For a car accident, this may be a police crash report. Other types of accidents can result in incident reports created by a business, employer, school, property owner, transportation company, or another organization.
Depending on the type of accident, a report may contain:
- Names and contact information for the people involved
- Insurance information
- Witness information
- Statements made at the scene
- Details about road, weather, or property conditions
- A basic description of how the accident occurred
If you received a citation or another document connected to the accident, give it to your attorney even if you’re concerned it could negatively affect your case. Your attorney needs access to all of the available evidence, including information that may be raised by an insurance company or another party in an attempt to deny liability.
3. Photos and Videos
Photos and videos can preserve details from an accident that may not be available later. Vehicles may be repaired, dangerous property conditions may be corrected, visible injuries may heal, and surveillance footage may eventually be deleted or overwritten.
Give your attorney any photos or videos you have showing:
- The accident scene
- Vehicle or property damage
- Road or weather conditions
- Hazards that contributed to the accident
- Visible injuries
- Damaged clothing or personal property
- Traffic signs, signals, or nearby landmarks
Video evidence can be especially important if surveillance cameras, dash cameras, doorbell cameras, or other nearby recording systems captured what happened. Because some recordings are automatically erased or overwritten after some time, tell your attorney as soon as possible if you believe a camera may have recorded the accident.
4. Insurance Information and Correspondence
Your attorney should know which insurance companies are involved and what communication has already taken place. This includes your own insurance coverage, as well as information about another person or business involved in the accident.
Useful documents may include:
- Auto, health, homeowners, or other relevant insurance policies
- Insurance cards
- Claim numbers
- Letters or emails from insurance companies
- Settlement offers
- Requests for recorded statements or documents
- Explanation of benefits statements
- Copies of forms you have already submitted
Give your attorney copies of any written or recorded statements you’ve already provided to an insurance company. Knowing what’s already been communicated can help your attorney understand where the claim stands and address any issues that may come up later.
5. Employment and Income Records
If your injuries caused you to miss work, reduce your hours, use paid time off, or otherwise affected your ability to work, employment and income records can help document those financial losses. They can also establish what you were earning before the accident and show how your income changed afterward.
Depending on your situation, your attorney may ask for:
- Recent pay stubs
- Wage statements
- Tax returns
- W-2 or 1099 forms
- A letter or other documentation from your employer
- Records showing missed shifts or reduced hours
- Documentation of bonuses, commissions, or other income
If you’re self-employed, the documents you need may look different. Tax returns, invoices, contracts, profit-and-loss statements, or other business records could help show how the injury affected your income.
6. Witness Information and Statements
Someone who saw an accident may be able to provide information about what happened before, during, or immediately after it. If you spoke with witnesses at the scene, give their information to your attorney.
This may include:
- The witness’s name
- Phone number
- Email address
- Written or recorded statements
- Messages discussing what they observed
You don’t need to conduct your own investigation or ask a witness to prepare a formal statement. Providing the contact information you already have can allow your legal team to determine whether further follow-up is appropriate.
Witness statements can also help to connect other pieces of evidence, such as accident reports, photographs, surveillance footage, and medical records, when your attorney investigates what occurred.
7. Receipts and Records of Accident-Related Expenses
Medical bills aren’t the only expenses that can result from an injury. Save receipts, invoices, and other records for costs you believe are connected to the accident or your recovery.
Depending on the circumstances, these expenses could include:
- Prescription medications
- Medical equipment
- Transportation to appointments
- Rehabilitation or therapy
- Home assistance or certain services
- Repair or replacement of damaged property
Keeping these records together can make it easier to understand the financial impact of the accident over time. A folder, envelope, or digital file can help you keep receipts and bills from getting lost.
If you aren’t sure whether an expense matters to your claim, save the documentation anyway. Your attorney can review it and determine whether it may be relevant.
8. Prior Legal Documents and Other Relevant Records
Not every document connected to an accident will fit into the categories above. Your attorney should also receive records that could affect how your case is evaluated, including previous legal documents or information about earlier injuries and claims when relevant.
Examples may include:
- Court documents connected to the accident
- Prior settlement or claim documents
- Letters from attorneys or insurance companies
- Documents involving another responsible party
- Records relating to previous injuries involving the same part of the body
- Written communications about the accident
It’s important to provide your attorney with information that could affect your case, even if you think it may be unfavorable. Learning about a prior injury, insurance statement, citation, or previous claim early gives your legal team an opportunity to understand the issue rather than encountering it unexpectedly later.
What If You Do Not Have Every Document?
You don’t need to delay contacting an attorney because you don’t have immediate access to a police report, medical bill, insurance policy, or another record. Bring or send what you have to your consultation and explain what you believe may be missing.
Depending on the type of document, your attorney may be able to request records from medical providers, employers, police departments, insurance companies, government agencies, or other sources.
Some evidence can also become more difficult to obtain as time passes. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, physical conditions can change, and witnesses can become harder to locate. Speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after an accident can help identify evidence that may need to be requested or preserved.
How Can an Accident Attorney Use These Documents?
Providing documents doesn’t mean you’re expected to build your personal injury case yourself. Your attorney can review what you already have, identify gaps in the available information, and determine what additional investigation may be appropriate.
Depending on the accident, these documents can help an attorney:
- Investigate how the accident happened
- Identify potentially responsible parties
- Document your injuries and medical treatment
- Evaluate lost income and other financial losses
- Review available insurance coverage
- Identify additional evidence or witnesses
- Communicate and negotiate with insurance companies
Every accident is different, so you may not need every document listed above. A car accident case may require different records than a slip and fall, workplace injury, or another type of personal injury claim.
Speak With a Cellino Attorney About Your Case
Keeping accident-related documents together can make it easier for your attorney to understand what happened and begin evaluating your case. Medical records, accident reports, photographs, insurance information, employment records, and other evidence can each provide a different piece of the overall picture.
If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, Cellino Law can review your accident, determine what evidence may be needed, and explain your legal options. Schedule a free case evaluation online or call 888-888-8888.
