Evidence Organizer — Organize Your Injury Claim Evidence
Organize your accident evidence, medical records, and witness information in one place. Strong, well-organized evidence is the foundation of a successful personal injury claim. This free tool helps you identify what you have, what you're missing, and how to get it before it disappears.
Critical Evidence Checklist for Personal Injury Claims
- Police/accident report: Request from the responding agency within 10 days. This is the foundational document for your claim.
- Photos and video: Scene photos, vehicle damage, road conditions, and visible injuries — taken immediately. Surveillance footage gets overwritten in 24–72 hours.
- Medical records: All treatment records from emergency room, primary care, specialists, physical therapy, and mental health providers
- Witness information: Names, phone numbers, and written statements from anyone who saw the accident
- Insurance information: All parties' insurance cards, policy numbers, and claim numbers
- Lost wage documentation: Pay stubs, employer letter confirming missed days, and doctor's note confirming inability to work
- Repair estimates: Vehicle damage estimates from licensed repair shops
- Pain journal: Daily entries recording pain level, limitations, and emotional impact — start the day after your accident
Time-Sensitive Evidence — Act Immediately
Some evidence disappears within hours or days. Surveillance footage is typically overwritten within 24–72 hours. Send a preservation letter immediately to any business with cameras near the accident scene. Skid marks fade within days. Witnesses become harder to locate over time. The sooner you act, the stronger your claim.
How to Send a Spoliation Letter
A spoliation letter is a formal written demand to preserve evidence. Send one by certified mail immediately to any business, employer, or party that may have relevant evidence — including surveillance footage, maintenance records, incident reports, and vehicle data. Once a party receives a spoliation letter, they have a legal duty to preserve the evidence. Failure to do so can result in sanctions, adverse jury instructions, or even case-dispositive rulings against them.
Address spoliation letters to: the property owner where the accident occurred, any business with cameras near the scene, the at-fault driver's employer (if they were driving for work), vehicle manufacturers (if a defect contributed), and government agencies (if road conditions were a factor). HellaHurt attorneys can draft and send spoliation letters on your behalf as part of your free case evaluation.
California's statute of limitations for personal injury is 2 years from the date of injury (CCP § 335.1). For claims against government entities, you have only 6 months. Don't wait — call 888-693-5777 or start your free AI case check today.