One of the most important steps you can take after being involved in an accident is taking photos. Doing this will provide key evidence to your injury claim. Continue reading and give our skilled New York City & Westchester County personal injury attorney a call today.
What should I take pictures of after my car accident?
All Cars Involved
You will want to recognize that pictures should be taken of all of the cars that were involved in the accident, even if there is no damage to one of them. The photographs will be useful in determining the cars involved (license plate, make, model, color). Property damage to the cars should also be captured. If safety allows, take photos before the cars are moved. Take as many pictures as you can and make sure you also get shots close-up and from a distance. This is critical to establishing the location of impact, the force of collision speed of travel, and direction of movement. Take pictures of the front windshield of the other drivers’ cars. Sometimes something is suspended from the rearview mirror that blocks their view of the road.
Accident Scene
Take photos of the road and weather conditions, traffic signals and signs, and overall roadway layout. Look for tire skid marks, broken glass, or other things left on the pavement. Sometimes visibility is an essential factor in a car accident, so look for large objects that may have obstructed drivers’ view of the road. If there’s a possible argument concerning the color of the traffic light (i.e. red light versus green light), make a video that displays the timing of the lights at the intersection for all paths of travel.
Physical Injuries
Your injuries will slowly heal over time, so you should take pictures directly after an accident. Pictures of your injuries will help others identify your physical condition after the car accident. Sometimes your medical practitioner will prescribe the use of devices such as an arm sling, cervical collar, walker, etc. Take pictures of these devices and, if you can, keep these devices in a safe place even after they become unnecessary for your medical treatment. These devices may be used as evidence in your case.
Other Important Tips
Be sure to set your digital camera or cellphone so that the date (and, if feasible, time) appears in the photo. This will help resolve the problem of having to remember when the photograph was taken if asked later on. Additionally, back up your digital photographs by saving them onto a second hard drive, copying them onto a thumb drive, burning a copy onto a CD or DVD, and/or printing out the photographs. The last thing you want happening is losing these photographs because of malfunctioning technology.
CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED NEW YORK FIRM
Baez Legal Group handles a wide array of injury claims, including those sustained in auto accidents, slip & falls, and more. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
