Tips for Car Accident Scene Photography

Experiencing a car accident can be devastating and overwhelming. Yet, it's important to preserve as much evidence of personal injury as possible, like taking notes and photos at the scene of the accident.

When you're trying to prove damages, photographs can be very effective. Photos of the accident scene and property damages can eliminate disputes raised by the other driver or their insurance company. Read on to learn tips for effective car accident scene photos and how you can contact a car accident lawyer.

Importance of Accident Photos: Preserving Evidence

To preserve evidence, you should take pictures with your smartphone of:

1. The accident scene
2. Your injuries
3. Any property damage immediately after the accident

Preserving evidence is critical in a car accident case. It can support your legal claims and provide proof of fault and damages. Whether you're submitting a claim with an insurance company or pursuing a lawsuit, the photos of the accident scene and the property damage will help the claims adjuster or the court determine the amount of damages. Depending on the quality of the accident scene photos, you may receive a better settlement offer.

Taking Effective Car Accident Photos

Accident scene photography can be solid evidence as long as it reflects accurate details and context. Evidence of the surrounding areas is important as well. Here are some tips for taking effective car accident photos for an insurance claim:

• Take general views of the accident scene: Get an overall view of the accident scene. Take multiple photos of the crash scene from different angles. Don't worry about the details in these pictures.

• Get all vehicles involved in the accident in the picture: Make sure you get the vehicles' relative positions and different angles of their proximity to other cars.

• Traffic lights and signs: Take photos of any traffic lights, stop signs, yield signs, and any other traffic indicators near the accident scene.

• Conditions of the weather: Take photos of the weather condition, such as clouds, rain, or snow. These photos can be used if the other driver, who is at fault for the accident, blames the weather for the crash.

• Objects damaged by the accident: Car accident victims should take photos of any damaged street signs, trees, guardrails, or any other stationary objects damaged by the accident.

• Detailed views of the damaged vehicles: Get close-ups of any broken windows, scratches, or other vehicle damage. Check inside the vehicle and get photos of any interior damage or airbags as well.

• License plates and insurance cards: Take photos of the license plates of all vehicles involved in the accident. Get the other drivers' insurance cards and driver's licenses, too.

• Condition of the roads and surrounding areas: Take photos of the entire accident scene, including any roadside debris, traffic signals, skid marks, traffic signs, or any other indications of a motor vehicle accident in the surrounding areas.

• People involved in the accident: Take photos of the other driver(s), any passengers, witnesses, and police officers to avoid any confusion in identifying the people involved in the car crash. Do not take close-up shots of injured people.

• Any physical injuries you sustained: Take photos of any injuries you sustained that are apparent and any clothing that you were wearing that has evidence on it, such as rips or blood.

Keep in mind that safety comes before anything else. Check the condition of yourself and other people involved in the accident first. Also, be respectful of the privacy rights of others. For example, you shouldn't post any pictures of others on social media.

Questions About Car Accident Scene Photography? Get Legal Advice From a Lawyer

Many people fail to realize how important accident scene photography is in their car accident claims. Whether you have photos of the auto accident scene or not, there are many ways to recover car accident damages. If you or a family member have questions, contact a car accident attorney today.