Mena, AR Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents cause victims long-lasting physical, financial, and emotional damage. After collisions, our lawyers can quantify these losses and help victims seek compensation via lawsuits against negligent drivers.
When investigating car accidents, our attorneys will review various pieces of evidence, starting with photos and videos from the scene. If you took photos of your injuries or property damage, give them to our lawyers to review, and we may provide them to crash reconstruction experts. We can also schedule interviews with witnesses to record their firsthand accounts. As we investigate and collect evidence, you should focus on your physical health by getting continuous and appropriate medical care. After gathering sufficient evidence to prove liability, we can file your claim, ultimately doing so before the three-year deadline for car accident lawsuits in Arkansas.
To get a free and confidential case analysis from our Fort Smith car accident lawyers, call us today at (479) 316-0438.
Evidence to Collect for Your Mena, AR Car Accident Case
Proving liability for car accident injuries requires considerable evidence, including photos, videos, eyewitness statements, expert witness testimony, and the victim’s hospital records. We can help victims collect much of this evidence by promptly launching investigations immediately after collisions.
Photos and Video Footage
Victims can collect evidence by taking pictures after accidents. If your car sustained property damage, photograph it, as it could indicate the negligent driver’s speed during impact. Victims can photograph visible injuries, like lacerations or contusions. You can ask paramedics to take pictures of your injuries so we can prove your injuries at the scene.
Businesses and private residences in Mena and the surrounding area may have surveillance systems, and our attorneys can survey the location to determine if that is the case. Contacting security camera owners as soon as possible is vital, as they could delete footage without knowing its relevance to your financial recovery.
Eyewitness Statements
Using eyewitness accounts in court for auto accidents can help plaintiffs prove how the defendant breached their duty of care. Eyewitnesses can assist with this by giving firsthand accounts in court. For example, if the at-fault driver hit you because they were following too closely and speeding, but they claimed you brake-checked them, an eyewitness could clarify what happened, undermining the defendant’s comparative negligence arguments.
If you talk to any witnesses at the scene, ask for their phone numbers and inform them our lawyers may contact them soon to schedule interviews. Do not discuss the accident in detail with witnesses. When victims need immediate transport to the emergency room, they might be unable to talk to witnesses, and our lawyers can use other means to identify them under such circumstances.
Expert Witness Statements
When initially preparing your case, our attorneys can identify experts who might strengthen your chances of recovery. For example, it is often important to give context to victims’ injuries, and physicians can explain the long-term physical effects of injuries, even after victims heal. Experts can also confirm upcoming surgeries or therapies victims will need after their lawsuits end, aiding their recovery of future damages.
Experts in crash reconstruction can piece together what happened based on leftover evidence, such as debris, tire marks, and property damage. While accident reconstruction can benefit any case, it is particularly useful when comparative negligence threatens victims’ recoveries in Arkansas.
Hospital Records
Victims’ recoveries hinge on whether or not they can prove a defendant caused their injuries, meaning they must show they were, in fact, injured. This requires hospital records. To prove you were injured during the accident in question, call 911 and request attention from paramedics. Let them take you to the nearest emergency room. When you arrive at the hospital, doctors might use various diagnostic tests and assessments to confirm your injuries and prescribe your treatment. Do not leave the hospital until you are formally discharged, and make sure you keep all follow-up appointments to monitor or support your physical recovery.
If you did not go to the emergency room after an accident but noticed pain or discomfort in the following hours or days, seek medical treatment right away since waiting any longer to get medically evaluated could hurt your case.
Our lawyers can help victims source medical records from hospitals and providers and organize them with medical bills to prove their damages from treatment.
Learning the Filing Deadline for Your Mena, AR Car Accident Case
In general, car accident victims have three years from a crash’s date to file a lawsuit, according to Ark. Code. § 16-56-105. If you are unaware of the filing deadline and miss it, you could lose your chance to get compensation.
The statute of limitations dictates when you can file a lawsuit and does not set time restrictions on lawsuits themselves. So, after you file, your case could take any amount of time to complete, depending on whether you settle it or take it to court. Hastening negotiations while still getting a fair settlement is a top priority for many victims, and our car accident lawyers can aid with this by identifying key evidence to leverage during these talks, like reliable eyewitness statements.
Arkansas provides several tolling exceptions to the statute of limitations, such as for victims under 21 when injured or those with disabilities. Victims might also get tolling if defendants intentionally conceal their identities or otherwise prevent the commencement of action, according to § 16-56-120. Do not assume your case qualifies for a tolling exception without confirming it with our lawyers, as this could make you miss the filing date. Attempts to file outside the statute of limitations may be futile, as courts typically dismiss these claims.
Victims should pursue compensation soon after accidents and not wait long to initiate claims despite having three years to file lawsuits.
Call Our Car Accident Attorneys in Mena, AR Today
Call our car accident lawyers for a free case review at (479) 316-0438.