Having a camera in your vehicle, often called a dashcam, can provide several benefits if you are involved in an accident. For example, the camera may capture footage of the collision and who was at fault.
You know that it is essential to know what happened after a collision to prove your side of the story; however, the high-stress environment present in the aftermath of an accident can cause you to forget important details.
When you need to file a car accident claim, it is necessary to have an accurate picture of what happened. A car accident camera offers an advantage when filing a claim and attempting to recover damages.
At The Law Office of Joseph J. Perrini, III, we know how to use the footage caught on your dashcam to help prove your case.
Dashcams Are Reliable Witnesses to Your Collision
A dashboard-mounted camera (or dashcam) is an effective tool for capturing details of a collision you may miss. Witness accounts can also be unreliable, which may leave questions about what happened and what caused your accident. While you may find a witness who supports your version of what happened, there is a good chance the other party can do the same.
With a car accident camera, you have a reliable eyewitness because it captures exactly what happened. Also, the events shown on the dashcam are extremely challenging to dispute. If they support your sequence of events, the footage can be an invaluable tool to prove your claim.
Recover Footage of What Occurred Before Your Accident
The seconds right before a car accident are just as important as the collision itself. If you have a dashcam, you will likely have a recording of what happened inside your vehicle, showing you were driving safely and obeying the traffic rules. If you have audio enabled, it will show your state of mind and the observations you made before the accident occurred.
The footage captured outside your vehicle by your dashcam can show what the other driver involved in your accident was doing seconds before the accident. It can also show the traffic conditions that may have led to the accident. For example, if the other driver was violating traffic laws or moving erratically right before the accident, the dashcam may have captured this. Reckless acts are difficult to dismiss or defend if they are caught on camera.
Recover Footage of the Collision
As mentioned above, the aftermath of an accident is usually a high-stress situation. Because of this, trying to remember what happened right before the accident and how it happened can be challenging.
With a dashcam, you may have footage of the impact and what you or the other driver did. It may also show how your vehicle and the other vehicle collided. If you and the other driver have conflicting reports of what happened, the dashcam footage can prove what occurred and may support your version of events.
Recover Footage of What Occurred After Your Accident
The moments after your accident can provide insight into what caused the collision. For example, how did the other driver respond to your collision? Did they admit fault or apologize for their actions? If your dashcam captures this, you have evidence that the incident was not your fault.
If you were involved in an accident with a drunk driver, the dashcam might show footage of the other driver’s erratic behavior after the incident.
Proving Fault with Help of Dashcam Footage
The footage captured by a dashcam can help determine fault in an accident. After your accident, the other driver may claim your actions caused the collision. If you have footage of the incident, you have undeniable proof of what happened. Video footage can show you were following the traffic laws and the movements you made leading up to the collision.
Additionally, there are situations where the police may not be contacted or did not respond to the scene. If there is no crash report, then you do not have an official determination of fault by the authorities. If this happens, the at-fault party may believe they will get away with the collision without any consequences.
The footage from your dashcam can show who caused the accident and provide documented evidence of what happened. This is invaluable evidence to have in the absence of an official crash report.
Dashcam Footage Benefits for Hit-and-Run Accidents
Did you know hit-and-run accidents occur every 43 seconds in the U.S.? While this means hundreds of thousands of these collisions occur each year, just eight to 10% of them are resolved. This is often because the victim cannot remember enough details about the incident and vehicle that hit them for the person to be found.
However, if you have a dashcam, it can be extremely helpful. Having this camera will capture important details about the vehicle and person who hit you and may be beneficial in helping the police find them. Once found, you have a way to seek compensation for your accident-related injuries and losses.
Let Our Law Firm Help with Your Long Island Car Accident Case
If you are involved in an accident, you have legal options to collect compensation. While this is true, there are steps you must take to protect this right.
Having dashcam footage of what happened is invaluable, especially if the footage supports your claim that the other party was at-fault.
Regardless of the situation, we recommend contacting our legal team after an accident to help you recover the compensation you deserve. We take pride in fighting for accident victims and helping them recover the full compensation they are entitled to.
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