The First 48 Hours: San Antonio TX Personal Injury Lawyer's Guide to Preserving Accident Evidence

The steps you take in the first two days after an accident in San Antonio, Texas, can make all the difference in the strength of your personal injury claim and the outcome of your case. Evidence can disappear quickly, as cleanup crews, weather, and time can erase critical details and undermine your arguments in court.

Making an immediate connection with an experienced local lawyer who specializes in personal injury claims ensures that this key evidence is preserved and documented. Your representative will also help you navigate communication with insurers and take the first critical steps to building a strong claim for you in court. Whether your accident involves a car crash, workplace injury, or slip and fall, acting quickly is essential to your case. Give the Texas experts at Carabin Shaw a call at 1-800-862-1260 to book your FREE CONSULTATION to see what our attorneys can do for you.

Crucial Accident Evidence: What Counts to Build Your Case

Whatever the nature of your specific case, preserving accident evidence is a critical first step towards proving its validity in court.

While the specific types of relevant evidence vary between cases, in general, it’s a good idea to begin collecting these items in the first 48 hours after your accident occurs:

• Photos and videos of the scene, including things like vehicle damage, injuries, and road or environmental conditions at the time of the accident
• Witness statements with full contact information
• Police or incident reports to provide official documentation of the incident
• Medical records and doctors’ statements establishing the link between your injuries and the accident

Share all evidence with your lawyer as soon as possible, and, if you can, store digital evidence in a secure location. The clearer your proof, the better positioned you will be to establish liability in your case.

How Your Lawyer Helps Secure Key Evidence

Working with a personal injury attorney in San Antonio TX is vital to preserving this relevant evidence, even if you’re able to begin the collection process on your own. Your legal representative will act immediately to safeguard evidence that may be difficult or even impossible for you to access on your own.

Your attorney can file the necessary paperwork to obtain surveillance footage from nearby businesses, preserve black box data in vehicle collisions, or send spoliation letters to prevent the destruction of relevant materials, and gather the most relevant materials under Texas transportation law.

Avoiding Common Mistakes After an Accident

Working with a qualified San Antonio personal injury lawyer is critical for securing this type of evidence in the vital first 48 hours after an accident. When you’re without the advice of qualified legal representation in this crucial period, you’re at risk of making these common mistakes:

• Leaving the scene of an accident before gathering all relevant evidence, taking photos, or contacting the authorities
• Failing to get medical attention to document your symptoms immediately, leading to insurers disputing the cause of your injury
• Posting on social media or publicly sharing information about your accident can later undermine your case
• Speaking to insurance adjusters, who may not have your best interests in mind, without consulting an attorney

Getting in touch with legal representation immediately is vital to avoiding these mistakes and protecting your right to a fair and balanced trial.

Don’t Fight Alone! Protect Your Rights & Contact Carabin Shaw To Schedule Your FREE Case Review Today!

The first 48 hours after an accident can be overwhelming, but with the right legal representation by your side, they don't have to be. The San Antonio injury attorneys at Carabin Shaw understand how time-sensitive evidence in accident cases can be. Just read our law firm’s client reviews and you’ll understand how we’ve helped victims in cases just like yours throughout the San Antonio area and beyond.

Before we begin working together, we offer a free consultation so you can best understand your legal options, and we offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, so you won’t pay until we win.

If you’ve been injured, call our toll-free number 1-800-862-1260 immediately. Our staff of qualified and compassionate English- and Spanish-speaking professionals is here to help you 24/7.

For more information:

• https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/evidence
• https://thelawdictionary.org/spoliation/
• https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/docs/tn/htm/tn.550.htm

---