A police report is often one of the first documents reviewed in a personal injury case. It offers an overview of the incident but it’s often insufficient for creating a compelling case. To adequately explain the extent of damages and place liability, you need thorough evidence and investigative measures.
Hiring a private investigator can strengthen your case and back up your statement as they collect and uncover hidden information in personal injury claims. Read on to learn more about the benefits of hiring a private investigator for a personal injury investigation and how FCA can help.
Why Police Reports Aren’t Enough
While police reports are valuable, they are not enough to establish the full scope of injuries and prove liability in a personal injury case. Police reports often provide a high-level overview and don’t contain essential details such as the full extent of injuries, long-term effects, and complex incident details. Officers can only form a subjective opinion based on the information available at the scene of the incident.
During a personal injury case, It’s important to gather additional hard evidence not available in the police report, such as witness statements, expert assessments, photographs, and medical records. This evidence allows the court to fully understand the incident and establish liability.
Witness statements offer supporting information that backs up the plaintiff’s claims and establishes a clear picture of the incident. These statements often contain additional information not found in the police report.
Photographs, not always found in police reports, offer visual evidence to support your claim. They can show the scene of the incident, injuries obtained, damage, and any other supporting evidence. Photographs also assist in accident reconstruction, which helps the court understand the events of the incident.
Police officers are not medical professionals, so their reports often do not adequately detail the full extent of the injuries obtained. Medical records and expert assessments are necessary to explain the injuries’ severity, impact, and required treatment. A medical professional can support your claim by presenting the injuries obtained, treatment, and long-term effects.
In order to establish a strong case, you will need to gather and present various pieces of hard evidence. While a police report is one of many, it’s often not enough to establish a clear picture of the incident and prove liability. That’s why you shouldn’t ignore the importance of investigation in personal injury cases.
How Private Investigators Strengthen Your Case
A private investigator (PI) is an individual who is not associated with law enforcement and investigates cases for clients. A private investigator helps lawyers gather evidence beyond the initial police report by interviewing witnesses, studying care reports, speaking with experts, and conducting background checks.
A private investigator can strengthen your case in the following ways:
- Reviewing discovery: A PI acts as another pair of eyes during discovery. They will provide an unbiased view of documents and evidence sent from the other side. Private investigators will also help research the defendant and reveal valuable details in the case.
- Gathering evidence: Private investigators gather evidence for personal injury lawsuits to support the plaintiff’s case. They often use digital forensics, interviews, and undercover work to collect evidence that may not be initially available.
- Assisting in appeals: If you lose a personal injury case and want to file for an appeal, a private investigator for lawyers can help. They use their research and analysis skills to gather more evidence, contact additional witnesses, and uncover overlooked information.
FCAs Investigation Services: Going Beyond the Basics
At Fund Capital America, we offer expert investigation services in California to help you win your personal injury case. Our skilled investigators go beyond the basics to find supporting evidence that substantiates your claims and enables you to obtain the maximum compensation possible. Keep reading to learn more about our investigation services.
Process server
Our process server services offer the prompt delivery of legal documents, including summonses, complaints, subpoenas, and other notices, to the receiving individual. We ensure all parties receive proper notice of legal actions to adhere to legal requirements and deadlines.
Asset searches
Our investigators will conduct a thorough evaluation of the defending party’s assets and liabilities to assist in litigation and settlement negotiations. Discoverable assets include real estate, stocks, bonds, vehicles, businesses, bank accounts, and personal property.
DMV services
For personal injury cases involving automobiles, we can access and locate essential information that would be hard to find otherwise. This information may include driver records, vehicle registration, accident reports, and other essential details. These private investigator services are highly beneficial in insurance claim investigations and other automobile-related incidents.
Skip trace
We can locate and track down hard-to-find individuals crucial to the legal proceedings, such as witnesses or defendants, to serve legal documents, collect debts, or enforce judgments.
In addition to the above services, we also offer background checks, witness interviews, surveillance, and other services tailored to the needs of your case.
Contact FCA for Legal Investigation Services
Build a solid personal injury case with FCA’s investigation services. Our team of skilled investigators offers customized solutions that suit the needs of your case. We’ll use advanced techniques to gather evidence and support your legal strategies discreetly and effectively. Whether you need to locate assets, reveal driver records, or track down an individual, we can help.
We’re the one-stop shop for all legal services. In addition to accident investigations, we provide legal funding, research and writing, language services, and more. Call or submit a form online to contact our team of experts in Southern California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you help me gather evidence even if the accident happened a while ago?
The statute of limitations in California requires you to file personal injury claims within two years of the date of injury. As long as the accident is within the statute of limitations, our investigators can gather evidence and assist with your case.
How do you ensure the evidence you collect is admissible in court?
To ensure evidence is admissible in court, our investigators follow a proper chain of custody during evidence collection, use qualified experts, adhere to all legal protocols, and follow court rules and procedures. We do everything possible to ensure you can use all collected evidence to support your case in court.
