A dash cam may provide evidence to help establish fault for a car accident. Because of this, it may help prevent fraudulent claims and speed up the insurance claims process.
What Dash Cam Footage Means to Your Car Accident Claim
Think of dash cam footage as an impartial witness to your car accident in Newnan. With this footage, you have proof that shows what happened before and during your accident. As such, the footage may help you prove that you’re not to blame.
Outside of this, if another party claims you ran a red light, were speeding, or did other things that contributed to your auto accident, dash cam footage may help you disprove these claims.
Meanwhile, video footage may accelerate the insurance claims process. Since an insurance company has video proof that someone else may be liable for your accident, the business may offer a reasonable settlement in less time than would be required if none were available.
Of course, video footage has the potential to hurt your auto accident claim as well. If the footage reveals that you’re partially or fully to blame for your car accident, an insurance company may use it to try to reduce the value of your claim or deny your compensation request.
How to Get Dash Cam Footage for Your Car Accident Claim
You may be able to access dash cam footage from your car via a microSD card or apps that allow you to download video clips to your mobile device.
If the driver of the other car in your accident has a dash cam, you may ask them for accident footage. A car accident lawyer may help you send a preservation of evidence letter to this individual to help prevent deletion. Or, they may file a subpoena or another formal request to the other driver for this footage.
Sometimes, the police may help you access dash cam footage of your auto accident. You or your attorney may request this footage via a public records process.
Along with law enforcement, businesses located near the scene of your car accident may have surveillance cameras in place. You or your lawyer may reach out to these businesses to find out if they have cameras. If so, the companies may be able to give you access to video footage of your accident.
If you get dash cam footage of your auto accident, it may be best not to share it on social media. Otherwise, the party that may be liable for your accident or their insurance company may access this footage and try to use it in their case against you.
Tips to Help You Get Dash Cam Footage for Your Car Accident Claim
Many dash cams operate on a loop, and old footage may be overwritten within hours or days. Thus, you should get dash cam footage from your vehicle immediately after your car accident.
As soon as you have your dash cam footage, secure it and back it up. You may be able to lock the file on your camera. Outside of this, you may want to back up the footage to a computer, cloud service, or external hard drive.
Do not edit the footage before you use it in your claim. If you do, this may raise doubts about the accuracy of the footage, which may impact how an insurance company treats your claim. Reach out to our personal injury attorneys in Newnan if you need assistance with your car accident claim.