If you are involved in an accident, you may wonder what an Irvine personal injury attorney can do to help your case. It may seem that since you were there and know what happened, you don't need the help of an attorney to argue your case. But there is a great deal of evidence an attorney would know how to collect and gather in order to prepare the most compelling case.
Gathering and Preserving Evidence of How the Accident Occurred
Your attorney will do several things in order to document what physically happened at the time of the accident. Your attorney will get photos of all the vehicles or products involved, the scene of the accident, and your injuries or damages. All physical evidence related to the accident will be secured, as well as relevant documents, photos, and data you have. It may also be necessary to retrieve any relevant e-mails and electronic documents you wrote related to the accident. Your attorney will send an evidence-preservation letter to the opposing attorney and will meet and confer with him or her to exchange contact information and agree on the preservation of electronic data.
Responding to the Other Side's Requests
When the equivalent letter from the opposing side comes demanding the preservation of electronically stored evidence, your Irvine personal injury attorney will respond to it in writing and phone you or send you a letter listing items that the opposing side has requested be preserved. Your attorney will check with you to ensure this is being done, and will collect, organize, and review your data for discovery and trial. You are required to produce the ESI requested, but by the same token, your attorney will collect, review, and organize the demanded ESI provided by your adversary.
Gathering Proof of Your Damages
Determining damages requires a similarly comprehensive method. Your attorney will ask for a list of all your medical expenses, your medical records, your hospital records, your medical bills, and a list of all special damages. Your attorney will also request property damage documentation, documentation of loss of time and income, your tax returns, and any other relevant financial documents. Your attorney will also send the opposing party request for admission of your damages.
