Kentucky residents who have been in a car accident caused by the negligence of another motorist might choose to contact a lawyer to assist them with seeking compensation for their losses. In that case, there are a number of documents that need to be gathered and brought to the lawyer to begin the process.
The documents include information from before, during and after the accident. The lawyer will need to see the client’s automobile insurance policy, as well as proof of payments that show the policy is current. Proof of payment might be shown in the form of canceled checks or paid receipts.
The client should also provide the lawyer with a copy of the police report compiled by the responding officer at the accident scene, any data gathered from the information exchange between the parties involved in the accident, which can include names and phone numbers, and photographs of the damage sustained by the vehicle. Police draw up reports after car accidents, which list information such as the location of the vehicles and pedestrians involved in the crash and the police officer’s observations about the cause of the accident.
The lawyer will need to see the client’s medical records outlining the treatment received for the injuries that were sustained. There may also be psychological records if the victim needed to seek out help for the emotional impact of the accident. If the injury caused the victim to miss work, pay records would be important when seeking damages for lost wages.
Gathering these documents for the personal injury lawyer is just the beginning of the process of filing a lawsuit. However, these will be the basic elements on which the lawyer will attempt to establish the negligence of the defendant and the nature and amount of the plaintiff’s losses.