After your car accident, several processes must happen before your case is either settled or goes to court. Investigating your car accident in Kansas City is an important piece to make sure all parts of the accident have been scrutinized. This can be long and painstaking but a thorough evaluation of what happened, who was injured, and what it will take to make the victim whole again is very valuable. Chances are you will not be able to do a thorough and entire investigation yourself. If you're injured and taken out in an ambulance, you're probably not going to be involved, at least at first. The investigation into your car accident involves several parties, including an experienced Kansas City car accident attorney like those at the Popham Law firm.
At The Scene Of The Accident
Accident scenes can be frenzied and chaotic, so it's important to stay calm as best you can. Unless it's a minor fender bender, police will arrive to take statements and pictures. The officers will make initial observations and assess the extent of injuries and direct medical personnel to assist the injured. Other first responders will help move the vehicles and assist with resuming traffic flow. Once paramedics begin to treat injuries and dispatch victims to hospitals, law enforcement will also do what they can to preserve delicate evidence and take statements from available accident victims and witnesses.The police report will include information such as the exact location of the accident, date and time, road and weather conditions, the number of injured people, and/or fatalities. Police also investigate the possibility of alcohol, drugs, or suspected use of either. Law enforcement is primarily interested in finding any indications of criminal activity.If you are able to gather evidence, one of the important parts is to take pictures of everything you can. If you can't, and you have someone with you, have them take those pictures for you if possible. Since most people carry a smartphone now, getting pictures at the accident scene is quick and easy. Using cloud-based storage like Google Drive or Dropbox makes it even easier to store evidence safely and get them to your attorney with just a link in an email.If you have the ability (or again a friend with you), you should also speak with witnesses and get their contact information for your attorney as part of your evidence gathering. If possible, you will want the contact information of the person who hit you, though likely police will gather that too as part of their collection.
Police Reports Are Only Part Of The Story
Police officers are usually first on the scene, second only to ambulances and other first responders. But while a police officer is taking pictures and statements, the officer is only using their initial observations, which may not tell the entire story.In this interview, police Sergeant Bill Mahoney explains the Kansas City Police Department's Accident Investigation process. He discussed how they go about investigating car crashes, particularly if there are severe injuries or fatalities involved. The completed forensic map of the crash scene must be complete right before they clear the accident scene. It's the most labor-intensive part of the process. Accident reconstruction and toxicology results (if Driving while Under the Influence is suspected) take the longest time to receive.
Additional Evidence
A good Kansas City car accident attorney will search for additional evidence that will show what happened and that may require an independent accident investigator to get involved if the police report doesn't offer an accurate or detailed picture.During an investigation, a Kansas City car accident attorney will seek additional evidence, such as:• Vehicle “black box” data• Any available dashcam footage from all vehicles involved• Video surveillance from security cameras on homes or businesses in the vicinity• Any arrest or citation information from law enforcement if there was a ticket or arrest• Mobile device data• The driving records of any other drivers involved in the accidentA full investigation by your attorney may also include accident reconstruction. An investigation is helpful in determining liability. Who was at fault for the accident and why? Was negligence involved, criminal activities such as DUI, unrepaired road hazards, or other documentable causes?
Getting Fair Compensation
Working with a Kansas City car accident attorney will thoroughly investigate your accident and uncover the cause to determine liability. Otherwise, you may not receive fair compensation for all your injuries and damages.
Kansas City Car Accident Attorney
Since 1918, The Popham Law Firm has helped hundreds of people in many accident types, from simple fender benders to accidents involving injuries and property damage. We'll be happy to review your case and let you know if you have one and how to proceed. Contact us at (844) 243-2288, or use our online contact form to get started.
