Mountain View Injury Claims: Find the Right Records First

Three tasks for a useful file

1. Step 1

   Choose the incident track before requesting records

   For a reported collision or other police incident, Mountain View Police links its Records Unit request process. For a fall or property condition, a business incident record, photographs and control of the premises may be more relevant. Do not assume a police report exists for every injury.

   • Describe the event and exact address in one factual paragraph.
   • List the report or reference numbers actually provided.
   • Separate the responding agency, property operator, employer and insurer.

2. Step 2

   Connect the condition to a time and place

   Preserve the original image or account and note when it was created. A photograph taken later may help describe a location, but it should not be presented as showing the condition at the moment of injury. Local traffic statistics cannot fill that gap.

   • Label original incident photographs separately from later site photographs.
   • Write down which condition each witness personally observed.
   • Keep notices or communications with their sender and date.

3. Step 3

   Prepare a focused review packet

   Arrange treatment records, out-of-pocket costs and work restrictions chronologically. Add a short list of unanswered questions about responsible parties, insurance or deadlines. California Courts notes that identifying whom to sue may require research; a location or business name alone is not a complete answer.

   • Keep diagnoses as written by treating clinicians.
   • Separate documented expenses from future estimates.
   • Ask an attorney to assess the facts and applicable deadlines rather than relying on a general calculator.