Dashcam Evidence in Your Car Accident

When you’re involved in any sort of personal injury claim, objective third-party input is always helpful. While you may be certain you know what happened, having proof of it can make pleading your case far easier. That’s why so many people now have dashcams installed in their vehicles. If you’ve been hurt in a crash, it’s important to know how dashcam footage may be used and how it could affect your claim.

Trying to figure out your next step after a Pittsburgh car accident? It’s time to talk to Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman. Call us at 412-253-2925 to schedule your free initial consultation now.

Types of Dashcams and Features

The value of your footage depends a lot on the quality of your dashcam. The standard single-lens cam just records the view outside your front windshield. A dual-lens dashcam can capture the front view and the inside of the vehicle. Setups with two dashcams capture the front and back views.

You also have to consider the video quality and whether or not your dashcam records audio footage. Not having audio footage isn’t devastating to your case, but it can definitely be helpful. The better your video quality is, the more important details you can capture during a crash.

If you are determined to protect yourself no matter what in a crash, you may opt for a professional dashcam. Professional dashcams are often trusted by vehicle fleets, rideshare drivers, and delivery drivers.

Getting the Right Footage with Your Dashcam

When you set up your dashcam, it’s important to follow the directions and test out your footage quality before using it every day. Too many people have relied on dashcam footage for a car accident claim, only to find out that they had their camera angled in such a way that the footage was useless.

Double-check that your dashcam is securely mounted. If it’s so weakly installed that it goes flying at the first sign of adversity, you’ll lose out on valuable footage. Make it part of your weekly routine to clean the lens and verify that the dashcam is recording and saving footage and that the footage is useful.

Using Dashcam Footage to Strengthen Your Car Accident Claim

Dashcam footage can strengthen your car accident claim. On the flip side, it can also be damaging to your case. Remember, dashcam footage is neutral—if the other party did something wrong, it will show that. If you did something wrong, it will show that.

Your footage could correlate with your version of events. It’s common for at-fault drivers to try to avoid liability by shifting blame to others or blatantly lying about what actually happened.

Your dashcam may also help you by capturing what happened before and after the crash. For example, if the person who hit you commits multiple traffic violations on camera before actually hitting you, that showcases what type of driver they are and lends support to your story. If the other driver admits fault after getting out of the car or apologizes to you, it’s likely that your dashcam will also capture that.

How to Protect Your Footage and Case

It is crucial to know how and when your dashcam backs up video footage. Every model works a little differently. Some models are continuously overwriting old footage with new footage, while others delete all footage after a certain period of time. That’s why it’s so important to back up your videos as quickly as possible after a crash.

If possible, back up your videos to cloud-based storage and a physical hard drive. Avoid editing the footage at all; it doesn’t matter if you’re just erasing irrelevant parts. Editing the footage could make the entire video inadmissible in court. Your next call after an accident should be to a car accident lawyer who can help you utilize your evidence to the fullest.

Discuss Your Personal Injury Claim with the Team at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman

The team at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman is here to help you fight for the compensation you deserve after a crash. If you have dashcam footage available, we’ll determine how best to use it to strengthen your claim. Call us at 412-253-2925 or get in touch online to schedule your free consultation immediately.