After being involved in a motor vehicle accident, it is important that you or someone with you be able to establish an accurate depiction of the scene. This is so vital that many insurance companies included a disposable camera as one of the items in their emergency preparedness handouts to clients. Now, with the advent of modern technology, many people have cameras in their possession at a moment’s notice.
How Photographs Help
In many situations, the evidence of a car accident is quickly removed. Many states require drivers to pull their vehicles off of the roadways if it is safe to do so in order to prevent further accidents. Tow trucks haul damaged vehicles away and road crews sweep away the debris. Taking pictures of the accident scene helps individuals to preserve the evidence.
Additionally, many motor vehicle accident cases result in a he-said, she-said battle. Photographs help to provide an objective perspective of the accident. These photographs can be submitted to each respective insurance company or even used as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit. Accident victims may rely on these pictures to help them describe the location of the accident and the road conditions on the day of the accident. Taking pictures of the following can help preserve important evidence:
Damage to the Vehicles
Take pictures of the damage that your own vehicle sustained. Take close-up pictures to get better detail. Also, take pictures of the other vehicles involved in the accident and the damage to them.
Evidence around the Accident Site
Take pictures of any skid marks on the road as these can indicate when a person applied the brakes, as well as the approximate speed he or she was traveling. Take photos that are close up and far away. Place a small item beside the tread marks so that scale is easier to estimate in the future.
Take pictures of any vehicle parts, shattered glass or other debris that came from the vehicles involved in the accident. If there were any obstructions on the roadway that may have contributed to the accident, take pictures of these items, such as tree branches, tire tread or other debris. In some cases, government agencies or private companies may be partly to blame for the accident if they failed to maintain the roadways in a reasonably safe manner.
Accident Site
Take pictures of the geographic location of the accident. If the vehicles were moved, take a picture of their approximate location before the move. Take pictures from far away to show if the area was an intersection, a stopping point, a lane to merge in or other type of roadway.
Take pictures of any road signs that were near the accident site, such as signs to stop, slow down, merge or reduce speed. Also, take pictures from different angles to get different vantage points. Remember, the jury does not usually go to the scene of an accident, so pictures can help give them a better idea of the actual location of the accident. Try varying distances for location pictures, including approximately 5 feet, 10 feet and 20 or more feet from the accident site.
If possible, keep a common landmark in the photographs to help determine the scale and distance between items featured in your pictures. If you are unable to take the pictures right after the accident, return to the accident scene when it is safe to do so. Be sure that your photographs tell a story about how the accident progressed and do not leave out any important details. These photographs may also help refresh your memory at trial.
Injuries
Take pictures of any visible injuries immediately after the accident. If you are injured, take pictures of how the injury progressed after time. This type of picture can be particularly useful in front of a jury, who may only see a recovered plaintiff on the witness stand.
Picture Pointers
Be aware of factors that can affect the quality of your pictures, such as sunlight, shadows or weather conditions. If your camera has different settings, experiment with them to get the best quality. Take plenty of pictures if possible in case some of the pictures do not come out well. If your camera lets you review the pictures as you take them, do so before moving on to the next subject.
You may be limited with the technology that is available to you immediately after an accident. However, certain subjects may still be available days or weeks after the accident, such as skid marks, road signs and location designations. Try using a better-equipped camera on a subsequent visit to the accident scene.
