First 24 Hours After a Crash: 7 Evidence Steps That Make or Break Your Case

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that crash teams collect skid marks, glass patterns, and witness interviews within hours because evidence fades fast. You should, too.

1. Photograph everything - vehicles, road debris, weather, traffic signs. Modern phones embed GPS and time stamps that juries trust.

2. Record opposing plates & VINs. Hit-and-run cases flop without them.

3. Dial 911 and insist on an official report. Police narratives anchor future expert testimony.

4. Gather witness contacts before they vanish into traffic.

5. Seek medical care - even for “minor” aches. ER records create an unbroken causation chain.

6. Notify your insurer, not the other driver’s adjuster. Anything you say can be mined for admissions.

7. Preserve digital trails. Save dash-cam footage and vehicle telematics; Indiana courts routinely admit event-data-recorder downloads.

   
   

Bonus tip: under Indiana’s modified comparative fault, evidence that nudges liability below 51 % could swing thousands of dollars your way.

Need help right now? Call Brinkley Law today at 317-766-1379.