6 Tips For Taking The Best Car Accident Evidence Photos
Michael Babboni
Car Accidents
The photos you take at the accident scene will serve you as some of your most important pieces of evidence. Your car accident photos will serve to substantiate your damage claims to your insurance company, and limit the ability the insurance company has to low-ball on your settlement negotiations. While insurance companies exist to represent policyholders, they also work to cushion their own bottom line, which means cutting any corner possible in order to settle for the least possible amount. With high quality accident scene photos, you have proof of damages that insurance claims adjusters cannot refute.Because car accident photos are so important, it’s doubly important to make sure the ones you take are high-quality and particularly useful. 6 tips for taking the best car accident evidence photos are:
- Document all property damage – After being involved in a St. Petersburg car accident, one of the first things you should document with photographs is property damage. Most will take photos of their own property and little else, but there is actually a whole lot more to consider to make sure you have a comprehensive view of the whole scene. Take photos of damage to the other driver’s car, damage to any curbs, signs, hydrants, or public property, and damage to any property that may have been held inside of your vehicle.
- Document injuries – From what may appear to be a small bruise, to cuts, lacerations, potentially broken bones, and more, document all injuries you can after being involved in an accident. In some cases, you may be able to photograph these at the accident scene, but this useful evidence can be collected in the hospital as well.
- Document witnesses, drivers, and officers – It can be difficult to recall the scene accurately after an accident. Taking photos of the other driver, witnesses, and reporting officers can help you to recall names and faces later on when you may need to call on them in proving your case and the circumstances surrounding the accident.
- Capture traffic signs – Nearby traffic signs should also be documented with photographs, particularly those that may point to potential dangerous roadway conditions. For instance, if a road sign a little down the way from where the accident occurred is marked to show a slower speed limit due to a winding curve, and the accident was caused by a speeding driver, the photo of the sign becomes an important piece of evidence.
- Always take more than you think you’ll need – You may think that taking a couple photos of your vehicle, a couple of the other drivers’ vehicles, a witness photos or two, a few sign photos, and a couple general scene photos is enough, but there is no such thing as too many accident scene photos. While meeting with your St. Petersburg car accident attorney, you may be able to whittle down the accident photos you’ve taken to only those that will best serve your case.
- Remember your date and time – If you’re taking accident scene photos with a digital camera or some smartphones, you may have date and time stamps placed on your photographs. Before taking these pictures, check your date and time stamp and make sure they’re accurate to the date and time the photos are being taken.