Taking the right photos after a motor vehicle crash can help victims build a successful accident claim. Crash scene photos can capture details about the location of the accident, the general environment, the position of the vehicles, collision points, and property damage. A personal injury lawyer can use these images to prove fault and help victims recover compensation.
Taking Photos of a Car Crash
In addition to the police report and eyewitness accounts, photos of the accident scene become valuable evidence for insurance claims and lawsuits filed by car accident lawyers.
When a car accident happens, the first thing to do is check for injuries and get medical attention right away. If there are no injuries, the police should be called. While waiting for the police to arrive, taking photos of the car accident scene can validate details of the crash that may not be easy to recall at a later date.
Accent scene photos should capture specific details of the collision that help to prove fault for the accident. Here are some helpful tips for taking good accident scene photos:
1. Using a filter or any other type of enhancement to make crash scene photos more visually appealing can jeopardize an accident claim if there is a dispute about liability or damages.
2. Photos should be taken from different angles and distances to show the position of involved vehicles and how they relate to each other. It’s a good idea to include streets, buildings, trees, guardrails, objects near the accident scene, as well as images of skid marks, broken glass, and debris.
3. Close-up shots will more accurately capture the extent of scratches, dents, broken windshields, deployed airbags, and other visible signs of damage on involved vehicles.
4. Photos can’t show whether a traffic light was red or green at the time of the accident, but the position of nearby traffic lights and stop signs can help police and crash investigators reconstruct the crash.
5. An insurance company and personal injury lawyer can use details about poor road conditions, inclement weather, and time of day to determine fault.
6. Most smartphones timestamp images automatically. If a digital camera is used, turning the timestamp feature on will record the time and date the photo was taken.
Whether filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit in civil court, accident scene photos provide crucial evidence that can impact the outcome of a case.
