However, with a small bit of pre-planning, you can have the tools ready and on hand to capture all the details if needed.
The first thing to take care of after an accident or injury is, of course, you. If you’re seriously hurt, don’t move until you’re sure you can. If the pain or injury is severe, wait for trained medical help to arrive. However, if you have some capacity to look around, move your hands or see what’s going on, use the following tools to capture at-the-moment information about the accident scene.
It’s always a good idea to have a small notepad and pen on hand to jot down information. If you are able, use the notepad to take quick notes on the date, time, place, address and people involved. Once an accident happens, there can be a flurry of people on the scene. A few of these people are witnesses. Grabbing their names and phone numbers now can be a huge benefit later. This information can be useful should you hire an attorney to pursue a recovery after the fact. It also helps fill in the gaps that you may not remember weeks later.
Your smartphone is also an important tool for capturing information right after an accident. One of its best features is the camera. Again, if you’re able, take as many photographs as possible of what you can see around you. This can be extremely helpful and far better than memory descriptions after the fact. Images in a photograph can capture thousands of details, some of which can be useful to show that an accident could have been prevented.
Most smartphones also have a recording device. In a public area you can use this tool to record your voice and thoughts about what you see happening as well as those talking to you. However, it’s still a smart idea to warn people they are being recorded before they talk. Don’t record people without them knowing.
Taking a few minutes after an accident to note as many details as you can will be a big help in the long run. If you’ve been hurt in an accident, please call us to discuss how we can help.