Evidence will be one of the key aspects of your auto accident claim. You may not be able to successfully obtain compensation for your damages if you cannot present evidence of the other driver’s fault. While a San Antonio car accident lawyer can help you preserve, collect and present evidence, you can also gather some yourself. This includes photographic evidence.
Take Photos Right Away or Return to the Scene
Capturing photographic evidence yourself while still at the scene of your auto accident could help your case. Photos of the scene of the crash could demonstrate another driver’s fault, such as food wrappers in his or her front seat showcasing distracted driving. It is important to take pictures while at the scene of a car accident if you are able to do so. Use a standalone camera or the camera on your smartphone, if you have one. If you cannot take the pictures yourself due to an injury or lack of a camera, ask someone at the crash site to take pictures and send them to you.
It is understandable to forget to take pictures at the scene of the crash, especially if you are dealing with serious personal injuries. Calling the police from the scene could help you gather evidence without having to do the job yourself. The police can take official photographs, speak to eyewitnesses and write up a report outlining the details of the collision for you. You can then use the police report as evidence during your insurance claim.
You can also return to the scene of the car accident after you have received medical care. If there is still police tape at the scene or a barrier blocking off the location of the crash, ask permission to cross to take photos. If the person in charge does not give you permission, write this down. Write down the person’s name and the reason he or she gave for not allowing you to take pictures. Then, call a San Antonio personal injury attorney for assistance.
Turn on the Timestamp Feature
If you can take photos of the scene of your accident, start by turning on the timestamp feature in your settings. You will not need to do this if you are using a smartphone, as your phone should automatically save the date, time and location of each picture you take. When using a digital camera, turn on the timestamp feature so that each shot has the date and time printed on the digital file. This can establish when the crash happened and/or when you returned to the scene.
Identify the Most Relevant Details
Do not be selective in what to take photos of while at the scene of your car accident. Take as many photos as possible for a full depiction of what happened. Make sure, however, to get a few shots of the most important details. These include any property damages and photos of each vehicle. If a dangerous road condition caused your car crash, such as a pothole, hidden traffic sign or broken stoplight, take photos. Taking pictures and videos of the most important parts of the crash site could be integral to your insurance claim later.
Get Multiple Angles
Do your best to obtain photographs of different viewpoints and angles of the scene of the car accident. Snap some close-up shots, for example, of property damages and things like tire marks in the road. Get a few wide-lens or panoramic of the entire scene of the accident and both vehicles, if possible. Experiment with shooting from different distances, as well as turning your flash on or off. Do not edit the photos or use filters. The goal is to obtain a detailed and accurate view of the scene of the crash and its context to help investigators reconstruct how the accident occurred. If you need assistance taking crash photos or gathering evidence, contact an attorney for help.