How to Take the Best Car Accident Scene Photos and Videos
No one is prepared for the shock and confusion of an automobile crash. The first thing you’ll want to do is call 911. Make sure you’re doing OK and check to see if any of your passengers require first aid.
You can use your cell phone to record photos and videos of the accident scene. If you require immediate medical assistance, you might want to ask a friend to take some pictures for you, or you can come back and do it later. But it’s best to capture photos and videos when the accident scene is still fresh.
Using photographs and videos to record the accident scene will provide vital details about the accident and what happened. This will be very helpful for your Houston automobile accident attorney when they file a claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company.
The Right Pictures Can Really Help Your Claim
Take as many pictures and videos as you can but stay safe and don’t interfere with the emergency responders. You want to record details that paint a picture of what happened.
The following types of information will help your attorney build a stronger case:
- Vehicle damage. Take up-close pictures of dents, broken windshields, detached fenders, and other destruction. Then step back about 15 feet and snap some more photos that demonstrate the intensity of the impact.
- License plates. This will identify which vehicles were present when the accident occurred. It can also assist investigators if a driver decides to flee the scene.
- The accident scene. Take some wide-angled pictures and videos to record the whole scene, including the position of all the vehicles. This can be invaluable when your attorney puts together an accident scene re-creation to present to a jury.
- Accident details. Skid marks, broken glass, and broken signs or damaged structures tell the story of how devastating the accident was.
- Weather plays a big role in a lot of vehicle crashes. Pictures and videos that demonstrate snow, rain, slick surfaces, fog, and other conditions that were present at the time of the accident will help establish if a driver was traveling too fast for the prevailing weather conditions.
- Injuries. Record the extent of any injuries suffered by you and your passengers and continue to document your treatment and recovery.
- Road conditions that may have contributed to the accident could demonstrate liability on the part of public officials or private construction companies that are responsible for maintaining safe roadways. This includes potholes, obstructions, damaged traffic signals, or foliage that obscures a street sign.
- Witness statements can make or break a case. If you are able to take video of the at-fault driver apologizing and admitting fault at the scene of the crash, your video can become vital evidence in overcoming any lies the at-fault driver tries to tell the responding police officer and insurance company later on.
How Your Houston Car Accident Attorney Can Help After a Collision
Insurance companies make their profits by paying out as little in claims as they can get away with. And they’ll try every trick in the book to deny your claim or offer you a lowball settlement. They might even try to blame you for an accident that was caused by their client.
Insurance adjusters can use anything you say about the accident against you, or they might even try to get you to sign a statement that could harm your claim. That’s why it’s best to let your Houston personal injury lawyer do all the negotiating with insurance companies.
Your attorney will conduct a thorough investigation of the accident, and then they’ll present the insurance company with a claim to cover your expenses from the accident. In addition to accident scene photos, our investigators at DK Law will use the following types of information to determine whose negligence caused your injuries:
- Police reports
- Medical records
- Witness statements
- Expert testimony
- Accident scene re-creations
- Surveillance camera video
Liability for a Car Crash in Texas
When it comes to car accidents, Texas is an at-fault state. That means the negligent driver who caused the accident will have to pay for it. Claims for automobile accidents include the following types of damages:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Time missed from work
- Disfigurement
- Reduced earning capacity
- Medical devices
- Wheelchair ramps for your home
- Pain and suffering
- Assisted living care
- Wrongful death
Schedule a No-Cost Consultation Today
At DK Law, we’ve won millions of dollars in settlements for our clients. Our founder Mr. Khosravian was chosen among the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 and he’s a lifetime member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Call (281) 402-8856 or contact our Houston area office online to learn more today. You won’t owe us anything unless we win your case.