The Things You Can Put Before a Jury to Prove Your Claim

When you’ve been hurt in New Jersey in any type of accident caused by the wrongful act of another person, chances are that any lawsuit you file will be based on a legal claim of negligence. In a negligence lawsuit, you must prove that the defendant (the person from whom you seek compensation) failed to act as a reasonable person would, causing an accident that led you to suffer actual losses. To successfully litigate your case in court, you must provide the judge and jury with evidence that is more persuasive than that introduced by the defendant. What types of evidence can you use to support your claims?

The Different Types of Evidence that Can Be Introduced at Trial

There are a number of kinds of evidence that can help you make your case:

• Physical evidence—This is anything tangible that relates to the case. It may include objects or devices that caused injury, documents of any kind, or items that were damaged in the accident. It can also include actual bodily injury. It must be something that can be shown directly to a jury, rather than in a video or picture.
• Witness testimony—You can have a witness appear and answer questions about what he or she observed. Witness testimony may also be introduced in the form of videos, affidavits, deposition transcripts, emails or other statements.
• Medical records—Though medical records are technically physical evidence, they are commonly introduced during the testimony of medical experts, who can then render opinions regarding extent and cause of injury.
• Photos and videos—You can introduce this type of evidence, but must generally authenticate the evidence, so the court can establish its trustworthiness