At-fault drivers and their insurance companies often dispute liability for a crash. When these disputes come up, the victim’s lawyer may need additional evidence to help prove the claim. For example, footage from a dashboard camera in one of the vehicles involved in the crash, or the vehicle of an eyewitness, may be useful.
We discuss how dash camera footage may help validate a car crash claim, and why victims may need a lawyer to obtain the footage.
If you were injured in a car crash, you should strongly consider contacting an experienced attorney to help you seek the compensation you need. There is no telling what challenges may come up during a car crash claim and you would greatly benefit from the help of a licensed attorney.
What Might Dash Camera Footage Reveal?
The footage may show the other driver breaking traffic laws, such as:
Running through a red light
Running through a stop sign
Hitting the brakes without a good reason
Weaving around other cars
Failing to maintain a lane
Driving the wrong way
Driving with headlights off
Driving without working taillights
The dash cam may also capture incriminating evidence in the moments after the crash. For example, maybe the other drive was stumbling around looking like he or she was drunk or under the influence of drugs. If the dash cam captured audio, it might pick up the other driver apologizing or admitting fault for what happened.
This information along with your account of the crash, the police report, crash scene photos could go a long way in helping your lawyer validate your claim.
Dash cam footage could be especially important if the other driver lies about what happened or the insurance company disputes liability. While insurance companies may feel confident about disputing things you said about a crash or the police report, it is hard to dispute video footage. This could be especially true if your case makes it to trial.
Often, dash camera footage is admissible in a court of law, so if your case goes to court the footage could help prove your case to a judge or jury.
How Insurers May Fight Against Dash Camera Footage
If the dashboard camera was installed in a way that violates Connecticut state law, the insurance company may say the footage cannot be considered. If the case goes to court, the insurance company may argue it should be inadmissible.
That is why it is important to ensure you install the dash camera correctly in your vehicle. Of course, you cannot control how another driver installs his or her dash cam. Even if the other driver had the device installed incorrectly, the footage may still help prove your case.
If the camera was correctly installed, the insurance company may still claim you altered the footage or say the footage shows you are at fault for the crash and not the other driver.
These are all reasons why you should hire an attorney to help you pursue compensation. Not only do our attorneys know how to obtain dashcam footage, but we can also fight back against the insurance company’s attempts to exclude dash camera footage from your claim.