Can Your Lawyer Request Dash Cam Footage of Your Car Crash?
The rapid growth of technology has made life much less safe in some ways—consider the massive rise of distracted driving accidents caused by smartphone usage. On the flip side, technology has also done a lot to make everyday life safer. Dashboard cameras make it easy to get to the facts of an accident, rather than forcing insurance companies and police officers to rely on each party’s story. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, you might be wondering how your lawyer can use dashcam footage to help your case.
If you’re interested in pursuing compensation after a car accident, you need a team of dedicated personal injury attorneys. Find out how Reeves & Mestayer can help you by calling us at 228-374-5151 now.
Using Your Dash Cam Evidence
If you have a dashcam, you can likely use that to your benefit after a car accident. Even if it is obvious that the other driver is at fault, don’t be surprised if they try to cover up their role in the accident or lie outright about it. When this happens, a dash cam provides cut-and-dry evidence. It’s important to handle your dashcam appropriately after an accident.
Provide the untouched footage to your attorney after making multiple backup copies. Do not alter or tamper with the evidence in any way, even if it’s to get rid of an embarrassing clip of you singing in the car. Any tampering will raise a red flag for the other side and make them think that you are hiding evidence that supports their claim.
What If the Other Driver Has a Dashcam?
After the accident, you may have noticed a dashcam on the other driver’s dashboard. How can you get ahold of that footage? This is when it’s crucial to talk to an attorney and figure out what your next steps are. The other driver knows that the footage that likely makes them look bad or proves that they caused the accident. You have to get to that footage before they delete it or “accidentally” lose it.
Look for a dashcam as soon as you get out of the car. If you notice it, tell the police officer who responds to the scene of the accident. This ensures that the dashcam is noted in the accident report. The police officer may tell the other driver not to erase the footage, which makes it harder for the other driver to get rid of damning evidence.
From there, talk to an attorney immediately. If the other driver does not willingly give up the footage from the dashcam, your attorney may need to subpoena that evidence. The longer you wait to talk to an attorney about this, the more likely it is that the relevant footage will be lost forever.
Time is of the Essence After a Car Accident
Whether you are certain the other driver is at fault, or you simply want to get to the bottom of what happened during your crash, you do not have time to waste after a car accident. While some dashcams store footage on the cloud and make regular backups, others just maintain local data that erases after a set period of time. If you wait too long to tell your attorney about the other driver’s dashcam, you risk losing the video footage.
We know that the days and weeks after an accident can be stressful, especially with medical checkups, repair shop trips, and time off of work. However, you need to make it a priority to talk to a personal injury attorney. Your attorney can get the necessary footage, figure out how to use it in your case, and help fight for the compensation you are owed.
Compare Your Legal Options with Reeves & Mestayer
When you hire us for your personal injury claim, you can trust that we will hold the other party accountable for their negligence and push the insurance company to offer you full and fair compensation. The earlier you contact our team, the more we can help you gather evidence and build a solid claim. Take the first step now by giving us a call at 228-374-5151 or filling out our online contact form.
