Auto Accident Lawyers | St. Louis

Documenting Property Damage Claims

If you have a property damage claim, you need the following three things for your St. Louis car accident lawyer to make a claim:

Photos – Get photos of the damage, the rest of the outside of the car, and the interior. Clean out the inside of the vehicle before taking pictures. Remove floor mats if they look bad. When photographing the damage, make sure to get tough to photograph areas, including damage extending into the engine, trunk, frame rails, and suspension.

Estimate – Written estimate from a dealership or collision center (insurance estimates are not admissible in court)

Fair Market Value – Printout of the Kelly Blue Book Value and NADA Value – Do this today! Print this immediately. If you wait six months, the car will be worth less.

Consider long-term impacts when documenting property damage:

• Assess any potential diminished value of your vehicle due to the accident.
• Keep records of all repair estimates and work done on your vehicle.

Documenting Property Damage Claims For Different Collisions

Rear-End Collisions: Take photos from behind the vehicle, looking at the damage for rear-end collisions. Make sure to take pictures from angles looking across the bumper, not just at it, to show how far it is smashed in. Open the trunk and pull back the rug to photograph any crumping of the trunk floor and damage in the spare tire area. Take photos of this and the broken suspension if the car sits low or dips to one side.

Head-on Collisions: For head-on collisions, take photos of the front bumper and across the bumper to show the depth of damage. Open the hood and photograph any damage extending into the engine compartment, including the radiator, air conditioning, or engine. Take photos of the broken suspension if the car sits low or dips to one side.

Side-Impact Collisions: With sideswipe accidents, take photos looking down the side of the car. Open the doors and take pictures of the door frame or foot-well damage.

Documenting Your Injuries in Medical Records

Documenting your injury in your medical records is a must! When going to the ER, Primary Care Doctor, MRI, Specialists, Physical Therapy, or any other provider, make sure to write the following on the medical records whether there is a spot for it or not:

• State that you were in a Motor Vehicle Accident and write when it occurred.
• Write the cause of the accident: for example, I was rear-ended at a stop sign, the car ran a red light and hit me, ran a stop sign, pulled across traffic, came into oncoming traffic, etc.
• List all body parts injured and any pain radiating from one body part to another.
• Mark all body parts on the pain diagram and draw arrows or lines regarding radiating pain – for example, neck pain radiating into the shoulder and down arms or low back pain radiating into the buttocks and legs.

REMEMBER: If records are completed electronically, ask the provider to see the documents to ensure everything is listed correctly.