It's important not to take too long to take legal action after a car accident. While the statute of limitations prevents late filings in all states, that is only one reason for acting quickly after a wreck impacts your life. Read on and learn how the timing of things after an accident can affect the success of your case. 

Road Damage Evidence Is Valuable

Whether you are fighting to prove that the other driver is at fault, or you are laying the groundwork for damages, proof is important to your case. Evidence gathering is much better accomplished earlier rather than later. Some forms of evidence can disappear if not captured quickly using a camera. Road surface and roadside damage may be washed away or repaired as time passes. For example, if you want to show who was at fault, the location of skid marks, fluid stains, and roadside sign damage can help tell the story of how the accident occurred. This type of useful but fragile damage can only be gathered, in many cases, right away.

Injuries Are Vital to Your Case

You won't have a personal injury case if you are not hurt. However, you also need to prove that you were hurt. Injuries will heal, thankfully, and you will always have your medical records to show the extent of them. However, a picture is worth a thousand (or more) words, and having photographs of your injuries can help show how painful and debilitating your injuries were after the accident.

Videos Are Abundant

In all but the rarest of accidents, someone somewhere has a recording of it as it occurred. Obtaining this footage can mean a lot if the way the accident happened is in dispute. Your personal injury lawyer will search for video recordings from bystanders, businesses, residences, and traffic cams.

Vehicle Damage Speaks

Experts in accident reconstruction may be able to look at a photograph of the damage on your vehicle and learn a lot about the accident. The location of the impact on a vehicle can show how it was hit, the speed of the other driver, the direction of travel, and more. Vehicles are often towed away quickly and then either repaired to sold off to scrap metal or junkyard businesses. Be sure you have some photos of your wrecked vehicle just in case they are needed to show proof of how the accident happened.

Time is of the essence after an accident. Getting an early start can mean a more successful settlement.

Speak to a car accident lawyer to learn more.