Tips for taking photos at the scene of a car accident
The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” certainly applies to car accident claims. Photographs of the scene of the accident, the damage to the vehicles, and your injuries will create much stronger evidence than your verbal testimony alone. Photographs can be used to:
- Show the facts without bias
- Preserve details you might otherwise forget
- Reconstruct the events that led to the accident
- Establish fault for the accident
- Show the severity of injuries and damages
Here are some tips that will help you capture the most important evidence for your car accident injury claim:
Start taking pictures ASAP: If it is safe to do so, start taking photographs of the vehicles immediately after the accident—don’t move them off the road first. You want to capture the vehicles exactly as they came to rest after the accident, because the positions of the vehicles along with the severity of the damage will help show how the accident happened.
Photograph all damage: Get both distance and close up shots of any damage to the vehicles as well as other damaged objects such as street signs, guardrails, etc. Pay special attention to any paint that the other car may have left on your car, or that your car may have left on another vehicle. The paint will help pinpoint the point of impact. Look for broken glass or damaged car parts that may have fallen off during the accident and photograph them as well, being sure to include wide angle shots that place them within the larger scene.
Remember the bigger picture: Don’t forget to take pictures with all the vehicles in them, so that their positions within the larger scene and their relationships to important elements of that scene can be documented. You also need to take pictures that help document other aspects of the scene, such as the weather, traffic signals or signs that may have been disobeyed, obstructions that may have blocked a driver’s view, etc. Basically, if you can think of anything that might have played a role in causing the accident (or that someone else may claim played a role), try to take a picture of it.
Document your injuries: Taking pictures of your injuries can also be very helpful for your car accident injury claim. You will probably want to take multiple pictures in the days and weeks following the accident, both to capture bruising and other damage that might not be visible immediately after the accident, and to document the healing process. These photos will be used to help justify your need for compensation for pain and suffering.
Now You May Wonder…
What Do I Do With All These Photos?
Show them to your attorney. Your attorney can use the photos to help you build a strong case for compensation from the party responsible for your accident.
If you’d like to discuss a potential car accident injury claim with the #1 car accident firm in southern California, call The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 now and request a free consultation.
