If you are injured in a car accident, there are some important steps you should take at the scene to protect your right to pursue damages. Most people know that you need to notify the police to report the accident, get the name, contact, and insurance information from the other driver, and contact information from any witnesses to the accident. However, taking photographs and videos of the accident site can also be just as important to your case.
When a person is involved in a car accident, it can be difficult to remain focused, especially if you have suffered any injuries in the crash. The experience can leave a victim reeling and feeling emotionally shaky for days and even weeks later. But if you are physically able, it is best to try to remain as calm as possible to take the immediate steps needed to pursue financial compensation for the damages the accident caused you. If a victim is too injured to take these steps, then they should contact a car accident attorney from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp immediately at 833-997-1774 so we can make arrangements to gather any available evidence right away.
Why Is Taking Photos of the Crash Site Necessary?
With today’s cell phone technology and most drivers owning cell phones, most accident victims have a camera and video recorder on them at all times. This visual evidence is often very compelling to a victim’s case because it provides a complete “picture” of the accident scene, the damages to vehicles, damage to property, injuries victims have suffered, road conditions, traffic lights, and more. Disputing a photograph of damages caused by a negligent driver is nearly impossible.
What Should I Be Aiming My Camera At?
Most people have cell phones with cameras that they can use. However, it is also important to take the correct types of photographs that will provide your injury attorney with as much information as possible. Taking the correct accident scene photos is so important that many commercial companies instruct their drivers on how to take photos of any accidents they are in.
When you photograph the accident scene, you want to take as many photographs as possible from as many different angles as possible. Take photos of all the damage to all vehicles involved in the crash, not just your vehicle. You also want to take photos of damage to any items or property around the crash site, including mailboxes, street signs, utility poles, and any parked vehicles.
Your photographs can also document weather conditions during the accident that may have contributed, such as a wet or icy street. Photograph any other factors that may have contributed to the crash, like foliage or trees that may have blocked street signs. Or maybe a large vehicle that was parked blocked a traffic sign.
If there were potholes or debris in the road that may have been factors in the crash, get photos of those, too. The same applies to skid marks and pieces of vehicle parts that are on the ground. These pieces of evidence can help your attorney prove that it was the other driver at fault, not you.
It is also helpful to your case to take photos from different distances and angles and to use a common landmark in the pictures, which will help show scale and distance.
You want to take close-up photos, standing about one to five feet away from what you are taking a picture of. Take medium photos from 10 to 15 feet away and then finish up with long-distance and panoramic photos from at least 20 feet away. The beauty of cell phone cameras is that we can take as many photos as we want without worrying about developing them.
Can Your Firm Take My Case?
Selecting the right personal injury lawyer is crucial to the success of your case. At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, our motto is “All we do is injury law.” We only represent accident victims, never the at-fault party. Our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to obtaining the best possible outcome for our clients, as evidenced by the more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts we have obtained.
Call us at 833-997-1774 to schedule a free consultation, and let us help you get the compensation you deserve.