The sad irony of being involved in a road traffic collision is not only the scary and difficult experience you go through (no matter how light the bump or accident\), but sometimes, wrapping up the situation with a neat bow isn’t as easy as it could be.
That’s because sometimes disputes can happen, and when that does, you may need to argue your claim in court. Unfortunately, the opposite party can sometimes try to get the better of you even if you’re technically in the right. They may be motivated to try and limit their insurance premiums, to have you pay the bulk of the repair cost, or to avoid proof of dangerous driving and the impact that could have on their future ability to drive.
It’s hard not to feel indignant about such experiences. But there are methods you can take to prove you were in the right in such circumstances. In this post, we hope to help you in that regard:
Gather Evidence At The Scene
If you’re able to do so safely, taking photos and gathering information right there on the spot, after you’ve left your vehicle safely, can potentially strengthen your case alongside an experienced car crash lawyer. You’ll need to capture images of the vehicles involved, the damage to each car, the road conditions, traffic signs or signals, and the general area where everything happened, because these records may be able to back up witness statements you ask for. Getting the other driver’s insurance information, license plate number, and contact details is obviously important, but you might also want to look around for any aforementioned witnesses who saw what happened and ask for their contact information too. Most people will be happy to help out.
Use Tech To Help Your Case
If you had a dashcam installed, a black box, or GPS data from your phone, this might also show your speed and location at the time of the road traffic collision, which could help prove whether you were following traffic laws. Social media posts from the other driver could potentially work in your favor too, though this is something you’d probably need help from a lawyer to access properly. Traffic cameras or security cameras from nearby businesses sometimes capture accidents, and while you might not be able to access this footage yourself, your insurance company or legal representation might be able to request it if your case goes that route.
Stay Calm & Reassert Your True Story
It’s so easy to lose your cool when you feel someone is specifically lying or downplaying an experience to implicate you or to avoid consequences. However, if you do end up going to court to prove you’re in the right, letting your emotions get the better of you won’t help. If you’re calm, assertive, stick to the same story and are very clear about the evidence, it’s hard not for those presiding over the matter to not view you with a certain amount of respect. It can also help if you put your immediate experience into an easily explainable form where the details remain the same, as they should. You can achieve this with legal help, and really press the issues so it’s understood.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily prove you were in the right, even after a road traffic collision.