One of the first things that motor vehicle accident lawyers would suggest you do after being involved in a crash is to take photos of the accident scene. Documenting the scene with photos or video can provide incontestable evidence for a later motor vehicle accident claim. Fortunately, today most people have smartphones that take high-quality photos and videos. This means that accident victims can easily document critical evidence they may later need for their legal claim. If you are physically capable and it is safe to do so, you should remember to take photos immediately after a crash.
Why Do You Take Photos after a Motor Vehicle Accident?
Taking photos or videos of the scene of a motor vehicle accident is important because crash scenes are usually quickly cleaned up to help clear the road for traffic. Drivers involved in an accident are usually eager to go home and decompress after an accident, while disabled vehicles are hauled away by tow trucks and debris is swept off the road. By taking photos or videos, you can preserve important details about the accident that are quickly lost.
Without photos or video of the accident scene, a later motor vehicle accident case may devolve into a “you said, they said” battle. But photos and video provide an objective perspective of the crash that can confirm the details of one party’s account.
What Details Should You Photograph?
At the scene of the accident, details you should photo or video using your cell phone or camera include:
- Damage that the vehicles have sustained, including close-ups of specific points of damage
- Any skid marks on the road, including both close-ups and distance shots. It can be helpful to place an object next to a skidmark to help determine scale from the photo
- Any debris that may have broken off from the vehicles involved in the crash
- Any other debris in the roadway that may have caused the crash, such as tree branches objects that may have fallen from another vehicle
- The road condition, including any hazards like potholes, broken or uneven pavement, or black ice
- The weather, lighting, and traffic conditions at the time of the accident
- The positions of the vehicles after the accident, if they were not moved after the collision
- Traffic controls, road signs, and roadlines
- The visual perspective of each driver immediately prior to the crash
- Any visible injuries you may have suffered, as well as the healing of those injuries over time
If you cannot take photos immediately after the accident because you were badly injured or your phone or camera was damaged or it is not safe to do so, try to return to the accident scene as soon as possible after the crash to capture as many of these details as possible.
Keep in mind factors that may affect the quality of your photos or video, including sunlight, bad weather, or shadows. Ideally, you should take multiple photos for each shot, just in case some photos don’t come out well. Also, remember to review the photos you have taken before moving on to the next shot.
Contact a Lake Worth Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in Florida
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in Florida? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. represent clients injured because of car accidents in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Pembroke Pines, and throughout Florida. Call (561) 533-0345 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 813 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth, FL 33460, as well as offices in Pompano Beach.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.