How Important is an Immediate Investigation – part 2

Here we are – the Indianapolis Colts are heading toward their playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.  We are only a few days away.  Even though Peyton Manning and the rest of the team have already played these guys this year, and beat them, do you think the Colts would be wise not to thoroughly and immediately investigate the team they are about to play?  Heck, Freeney already knows what to expect and Manning could play these guys in his sleep.  But they do investigate the Ravens.  The Colts know that their best chance to beat the Ravens is to know everything about them.  To know what they will do next and how they will do it.  Bill Belichick, of the Patriots, love him or hate him, beats those teams who do not prepare for him because he always slips in something they do not expect. 

It is the same thing with an investigation into an injury case.  You were just in an car wreck with a drunk driver.  You were just in a highway accident with a semi tractor trailer. You were just injured in a construction accident.  Your injury is severe, say maybe you are paralyzed, have been badly burned, have a spinal cord injury or a brain injury.  You cannot focus on anything but your medical care and treatment.  You would like to perform an investigation into how the auto accident occurred but you can’t.  Do you say, oh well, it can wait, or do you seek the advice and representation of a qualified accident attorney or injury lawyer. I recommend, with all my professional experience that you do not wait and let me tell you why. 

Witnesses move, die and forget things.  Say you have a key witness.  The jury will probably believe the witness because he has nothing to gain or lose.  If you do not get out to the witnesses home and get a statement right away, you may never get that statement and the evidence will be lost.  How many times have I heard a witness say, its been two or three years, I can’t remember that stuff.  That is when I pull out my copy of the statement I took from them just a week or two after the car wreck.  They read it, refresh their recollection and give testimony that wins the case. 

If you are in an auto accident in an urban area, the cameras of some stores may have captured the wreck on tape.  You need your experienced trial lawyer or accident attorney to get out to that store right away to secure a copy of the tape because stores recycle their tapes every two weeks or so.  Therefore, if you do not get out there right away the tape and the helpful evidence on it may be destroyed. 

Next time, more reasons why you cannot afford to put off that investigation.