Importance Of Photos After An Accident
After you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s critical to take clear and detailed photos immediately so they can be used as evidence to support your insurance claim or injury case, if necessary.
Pictures can help to show an accurate and indisputable portrayal of the severity of your car accident, the extent of your injuries, and the potential causes of the crash. Taking photos for evidence purposes can also help you to defend yourself against any false claims made by other drivers involved in the accident.
When you’re in a car accident, it’s always a startling and emotional experience. Numerous small but important details about the car accident may easily be lost in the chaos. You may not remember everything about the weather and lighting conditions, the location of street signs, or the position of the vehicles after the accident. These and others can be important factors in the success of your personal injury case.
After you’ve been involved in a car accident, you should take photos of the following details when it is safe to do so:
- License plates
- Damages
- Injuries
- Street signs, signals, and lights
- Weather conditions
- Collision points and skid marks
- Witnesses
License Plates
Be sure to take photographs of the license plates of the other cars that were involved in the collision. Pictures of license plates are helpful to have for identity purposes, especially if the driver who caused your accident leaves the scene before the police arrive.
Damages
Remember to take photos of any damages that the cars sustained in the accident. Pictures of dents, paint scrapes, broken glass, and activated airbags are helpful and can be used as evidence to show the severity of a collision and the extent of any car repairs that may be necessary. They can also provide powerful evidence about how the crash happened and who was at fault.
Even if you’ve been involved in a relatively minor fender bender, taking photos of the damage to your car can be helpful if you need to file a personal injury lawsuit against another driver or an insurance claim with your insurance company.
Photographing the damage sustained by other cars that may have been involved in the accident is also important. These photos may be useful in protecting yourself against the false claims of a negligent driver who may inaccurately argue that the accident was your fault.
Injuries
Be sure to take clear photos of the visible injuries you sustained in the accident. Pictures should show the type, severity, size, and location of all outwardly apparent accident-related injuries.
Photos of injuries that are taken immediately following a car accident may be gruesome to look at, but they can be useful as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit to support your car accident claim that you suffered serious injuries in the accident.
Street Signs, Signals, and Lights
After a car accident, it’s important to take pictures of all nearby street signs, signals, lights, and other road markings. Street name signs that indicate the location where the car accident occurred are also important to document.
These photos will help to set a vivid and realistic scene of the accident, which may be especially helpful in proving liability in a personal injury case. Photos of street signs, signals, and lights are useful as evidence in cases when, for example, a negligent driver may have run a red light, failed to stop at a stop sign, ignored a yield sign, or was speeding in violation of a nearby speed limit sign.
Weather
It’s a good idea to document the weather conditions that were present at the time of your car accident. Photos that show evidence of weather conditions, including rain, fog, snow, ice, or even bright and clear conditions are helpful evidence that could support your personal injury claim.
Documenting weather conditions is especially important if the other driver was recklessly disregarding dangerous weather conditions. Documenting the time of day through photos is also helpful, as natural lighting conditions can also be used as evidence in a personal injury case.
Collision Points and Skid Marks
Take photos of all the collision points — the locations where an impact occurred — following a car accident. Collision points may include the location where the other driver’s car hit yours, as well as any impact points caused objects along the roadside, including guardrails, jersey barriers, curbs, fences, and poles. Skid marks should be photographed as well, to document attempts that you made to avoid being involved in the accident.
Witnesses
Following your car accident, be sure to snap a photo of anyone who witnessed your accident and take down their contact information. A witness may add valuable evidence to your personal injury case in the form of court testimony. Having access to a witness who can support your claim that another driver caused your accident or was acting recklessly in the moments prior to the accident can have a positive impact on the success of your personal injury case.
Before taking any pictures related to your car accident, be sure that you wait until you’re in a safe area to take the photos so that you don’t put your safety or the safety of your passengers at risk. Photos that can be used as evidence in a personal injury case are important, and you’ll need to be able to share them with your attorney.
Contact Our Chattanooga Car Accident Attorneys for Help
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident in Chattanooga or surrounding areas of Tennessee or Georgia, turn to skilled Chattanooga injury lawyers at Davis Firm, LLC with the experience to help you with your car accident settlements.
At Davis Firm, LLC, our Chattanooga car accident attorneys are prepared to help you seek the full compensation that you deserve. Attorney Scott Davis spent 15 years as an insurance defense lawyer, so he knows how the insurance company will approach your case. He’s ready to use that knowledge to your benefit.
Let our team build the strongest case possible on your behalf by calling us to schedule a free consultation today.