After a car accident, photos can be incredible visual proof of the extent of the damage. If you were to tell someone that you’ve been in an accident and the car was totaled, they might not understand without photos of the smashed trunk, caved in side panels or crumpled hood. Pictures can eliminate doubt about who was at fault in the accident too.
Immediately After the Accident
Before jumping out of the car with your cell phone camera, call the police to report the accident. Report any injuries, so an ambulance can be dispatched to the scene.
While you’re waiting for the ambulance and police, you can take pictures of the scene within minutes of the impact. These pictures are vital for your case because after the police arrive, the road will be cleared. The aftermath without the vehicles might not tell the story of what happened.
Returning to the Scene
If you didn’t have a good camera at the time of the accident, you can return to the scene to capture better pictures. A high resolution camera can capture skid marks and damage to elements on the street like dents in telephone poles.
Importance of Pictures
An accident can occur in the blink of an eye, and many accident victims don’t always get the sequence of events correct. Pictures can tell the story clearly while the victim’s memory is faulty.
Pictures can also jog your memory down the road. The trauma as well as the pain of recovery can lead many victims to forget every detail of the accident. The photographs can act as reminders to the victim of how things occurred.
Take Effective Pictures
Wide Shots
Start with wide shots to encompass the entire scene. This can be used by your personal injury attorney during the case. It should show the resting place of both vehicles after the accident and before they are moved.
Traffic Lights and Signs
If traffic lights or signs were a factor in the accident, take a picture of them in relation to the vehicles. This will help tie them to the at-fault driver.
Other Vehicles Involved
Any vehicles involved in the accident including the ones that are damaged should be included in the photographs.
Weather Conditions
Rain, snow or bright sun should be documented in pictures to show what might have contributed to the accident. The other driver may try to claim the road was wet when it was dry, so pictures can help your claim and disprove theirs.
Your Car’s Damage
While the car is in the road, you can circle the car taking various pictures of the damage. You’ll be able to use the photographs to prove what came from the accident. Try to include references in the pictures like your license plate as well as the total accident scene.
Damage to the Other Vehicle
The other vehicle’s damage should be chronicled in pictures too. Your personal injury attorney will use these to disprove the other driver’s claims of damage that didn’t happen as a result of the accident.
Photos of Others
It’s important to take pictures of the other driver, passengers and witnesses on the scene. The other driver might claim injuries that didn’t exist. With photographs, you could prove them to be a liar.
If you weren’t able to capture pictures of your vehicle at the scene, you should take pictures as soon as possible after the accident. Once the adjuster looks at your car, you might not see it again if it’s totaled. Good pictures can be used with other evidence to create a solid case against the other driver.
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