A crash involving someone driving under the influence (DUI) can create a criminal case and a separate personal injury claim. Police may collect evidence for prosecution, but you still need documentation showing how the collision happened and how it affected you. Gathering the right evidence after a DUI accident links the driver’s conduct to your injuries and losses.
Start with your safety. Seek medical attention, and follow treatment instructions, since a car accident attorney at Soloff & Zervanos could later request records that you could not obtain yourself.
Photographs and video can show vehicle damage, road conditions, and the final positions of the vehicles. Capture the broader scene and close views of impact points, as images taken soon after a crash help an accident reconstruction professional evaluate force.
Ask for the names and contact information of witnesses. A witness may have seen unsafe driving or heard the other driver mention drinking. Nearby businesses may also have video, and because they may erase recordings, prompt preservation requests are often important.
Keep the police incident number, and obtain the completed crash report when it becomes available. The report may note citations or an arrest, but it does not replace the other evidence needed to prove fault and damages after a DUI accident.
Keep evidence such as medical records, which may help connect your injuries to the DUI crash. Attend follow-up appointments, and describe symptoms accurately since gaps in treatment make an injury harder to explain.
Save your medical bills and insurance statements, and keep records showing missed work or reduced hours. A short journal can document pain and changes in daily activities, provided each entry remains factual. Do not post details about the accident or your recovery on social media, since insurers may compare public content with your claim.
After an accident, evidence of an intoxicated driver may include breath or blood test results and body-camera footage, along with records from a bar or restaurant. Some of this material is not available directly to an injured person, so our attorneys could send preservation letters and request police records through the legal process.
The criminal case and the injury claim serve different purposes. A conviction may support your case, but criminal proceedings do not establish every part of your civil claim.
Strong claims depend on organized, timely evidence. At Soloff & Zervanos, our lawyers could review the crash and document the full effect of your injuries while communicating with the insurers involved.
If another driver’s impairment caused your crash, contact us to discuss what evidence you should gather after a DUI accident and how we may help protect your rights.
