- September 20, 2024
- Tucker Law
- Car Accident Lawsuits
Compensation in car accident cases depends greatly on evidence. Even in no-fault insurance car accident cases, evidence is necessary to determine how an accident occurred. The importance of visual evidence in a car accident case cannot be overstated. Fortunately, with the advent of photographic technology, most car accident victims have the opportunity to snap photos of the scene following a crash. Take a closer look at why taking photos after a car accident is so vital in New York.
If you’ve been in a car accident, you need proven professionals to help get you the compensation you deserve. Trust Tucker Lawyers to fight for you. Call (516) 399-2364 for a free consultation today.
The Importance of Visual Evidence in a Car Accident Case in New York
Visual evidence is one of the most effective types of evidence available when it comes to New York City car accident cases. They say a picture is worth a thousand words for a reason. With just one image, a car accident victim can prove another to be liable when no other proof exists.
Visual images, including video footage, also preserve the crash scene like no other form of evidence can. The precise location of the cars, direction of travel, skid marks, and other key data are forever captured when you take visual images of the crash scene. For insurance claims, photos also clearly depict and thus confirm claimed vehicle damage as well as injuries.
Finally, visual images can be accessed over and over again. With video footage or snapshots of a crash, your attorney will have virtually endless time to study the scene and develop a powerful case.
At the end of the day, visual evidence — or demonstrative evidence — of a live accident scene can help move your compensation case along more quickly in most cases. The questions answered by images can satisfy insurance adjusters faster than other types of evidence.
Key Photos to Take
When snapping photos of an accident scene, you want to make sure to capture as much relevant information as possible. At a minimum, you should strive to photograph the following:
- A wide overview of as much of the accident scene as possible
- Street signs and intersections
- The surrounding landscape
- All vehicles involved
- All people present, including drivers, passengers, police, and witnesses
- Vehicle damage
- Traffic signs and signals
- Road traffic markings
- Skid marks
- Debris
- Weather conditions.
Keep in mind that at all times, you should look after your safety and never put yourself at risk to capture photographic evidence. If you are injured and cannot reasonably take photos, have a member of your vehicle take photos. If no one is available to do so, you can always return to the scene when you’re physically able. Witnesses may also have photos or video footage, so don’t forget to collect witness contact information.
Tucker Lawyers is always ready to fight to recover the true value of its clients’ claims.
Tips for Taking Effective Photos & How to Store Them
Your case for compensation might depend heavily on the images you collect. If you are capable of taking photos at the accident scene, you have an opportunity to capture exceptional, irrefutable evidence. However, taking shots haphazardly won’t produce strong evidence, so take your time and follow these key tips.
Many Photos
If you watch many professional photographers work, you’ll notice them taking copious amounts of photos, especially now in the digital age. They do this to ensure that they capture everything they’re after. Of 100 shots, they might get fewer than ten they can use.
At an accident scene, you need not snap hundreds of shots. But you should be aware that the more shots you take, the more useful images you will have.
Multiple Angles and Levels
Photograph the scene from many different angles and vantage points. Take close-up and wide-angle pictures throughout the accessible accident scene. Even if you feel an angle would be irrelevant, snap a shot anyway. It is often impossible to tell whether a picture might be valuable to your future claim until later on down the road.
Video
Video is a great way to capture live action as well as individual frames that can be printed as still shots. Keep in mind, however, that the quality of video still shots is generally far below still-shot quality. Even so, video footage does provide real-time action of the moving parts of an accident scene.
When taking photos and video footage, it is important to keep the camera still and to shoot images deliberately. Shaky cameras and blurry shots do not make for good evidence.
Proper Photo Storage
Once you have taken images of the scene, you should immediately back them up. The cloud and external storage devices, such as hard drives and SD cards, should both be employed when copying the images. The original storage device inside the camera should be guarded and preserved for future legal purposes as well.
Properly organizing the images will be helpful down the line, especially if you take plenty of pictures. There are various ways to organize them, such as establishing the following folders:
- General wide-angle shots
- Vehicle 1
- Vehicle 2
- Vehicle 3, if appropriate
- Passengers, with separate folders per vehicle
- Witnesses
- Traffic and street signs and signals
- Weather conditions
- Emergency vehicles and personnel
- Road conditions, such as potholes, ice, or debris.
Of course, securing the images is the most important aspect of car accident photos. However, a moderately detailed organization of the images can be of great help to your case as well.
Choose Experienced Representation for Your Auto Accident Case
Your Trusted Legal Team in New York City
No one knows of the importance of visual evidence better than an experienced auto accident attorney. If you’ve been in an auto accident in New York City, take any evidence you have captured to a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney at Tucker Lawyers. Our seasoned team can fight to recover a compensation payout worthy of the losses you have suffered.
For a free consultation with effective New York car accident lawyers who care, reach out to Tucker Lawyers. Our traffic accident team can fight for your future on your behalf. Call (516) 399-2364 today!
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]