A crash can occur in an instant, but the process of dealing with serious injuries and insurance claims afterwards can be challenging and time-consuming. If the crash was caused by the recklessness or negligence of another driver or someone else, you may need to file a personal injury claim to recover fair compensation for the expenses you’ve incurred, as well as pain and suffering and other losses.
Evidence is essential in any legal case, and car accidents are no different. Photos of the car accident scene can provide valuable proof and details about the accident to insurance claims adjusters or a jury if your case goes to court.
Even if these details are set out in the police report, words cannot capture what images can show. Photos are some of the best and clearest evidence in any accident case.
Our trusted car accident attorney and team of experienced Honolulu car accident attorneys at the Recovery Law Center are always available to answer questions you have about accident photos and any other aspect of your case. Simply call us or contact us online now to schedule a free consultation.
What Kind of Photos Should You Take?
At the Recovery Law Center, we want to share with you the steps you should take to obtain the best types of photos for evidence in your case. Most people assume they only need to take pictures of their damaged vehicle. While damage photos are important, they do not capture the full accident scene and could leave out critical details.
How do I take car accident photos?
Learn what should be included in your photographs. Make some of these recommendations to capture as much evidence as possible.
Think about the accident from a bird’s-eye view. You want to get a full picture of the road and intersection, street signs and traffic signals, all the vehicles involved in the crash, and the surrounding area. Weather conditions, distractions from pedestrians, advertisements, or scenery should all be documented with photos as well. Include images of skid marks, broken glass, plastic and other debris from the wreck. These kinds of pictures give your accident context beyond your damaged vehicle and will help your attorney analyze your crash.
You should also take pictures of your injuries and injuries to any occupants of your vehicle. If it’s difficult to photograph your injuries on your own, have someone at the scene do it for you. These pictures can helpful document the severity of your injuries months later after you’ve healed. It can be difficult, even traumatic, to accurately describe your injuries after time has passed. Photos can properly and thoroughly do the job for you. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Property damage is another aspect of the crash that is crucial to photograph. Yes, your vehicle is the main focus here, but also think about the contents of your car. Was your laptop inside and damaged by the impact? Did you have a car seat installed in the back? Even if a child was not in your vehicle during the accident, a car seat would need to be replaced if it was in the collision. Was there any other personal property damaged inside your vehicle? These should be included in your claim as well. Take pictures of everything.
Document Nearby Traffic Signs.
Knowing that a traffic sign was present at the time of the accident may help reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the accident. If you see a photo of a yield sign at an overgrown intersection where the accident happened it could mean that the at-fault driver failed to yield. Overgrown shrubbery might be reduced after a road accident so taking photographs will help to document the conditions as at the time of the accident. For instance a dense forest on an intersection makes approaching vehicles hard to view, so take pictures of signs and approaching vehicles. If there is an stoplight then traffic lights or stop lamps are visible.
Take photos of the surrounding scene.
There may be elements around the crash site that could be used as evidence to date. Bring pics in the vicinity. One of the businesses could have security cameras to view the incident. When you take photographs you always can remember to contact them even though you don’t realize its importance. Take a picture to prove damages to your car and it’ll prove its faulty.
In order to give context to your photos, be sure to take pictures of the same subjects at multiple distances. For example, take a close-up picture of the damage to your vehicle so you can see the detail. Then, take a picture of the whole car so the viewer can observe where the damage is in relation to the entire vehicle. This same strategy goes for all other elements of your accident scene. Just remember that up-close, detailed photos may make sense to you because you already understand how they relate to the overall accident scene, but they may be unfamiliar to other viewers. For example, show where a street sign fits in the scenario by taking a picture of the whole intersection, and so on.
Take more pictures than you think you need
There is no such thing as too many photos of your accident. If your attorney has to go through multiple images to determine the best ones to use, that means you have done your job well. The more photos you take, the more evidence you provide that will be relevant to the compensation you may receive.
If you are reading this article after having been in a car accident and you didn’t take photos at the scene, you can still take action. Get photos of what you can immediately, including pictures of your vehicle, your injuries, and the scene of the accident. If your car is already at a salvage yard, contact them to see if you might be able to take pictures on site. If your injuries are severe, and you’re not moving around right now, ask a family member or friend to help.
You can also call us at the Recovery Law Center for support, and we can send someone out to get photos of the scene, the damaged vehicle, your injuries, and more. We are here to support our clients in all aspects of their claim.
How can a photograph help?
Pictures of a car crash and other information surrounding it are a very interesting way to preserve evidence. Pictures of the scenes of an accident would also serve as assets in case you are involved in personal-injury litigation. Pictures like these may also refresh your memories later when someone is speaking in court to an insurer. These photos can be used to paint a detailed picture of the location of the accident and the driving environment. Examples include intersections and intersection maps, traffic conditions at the time of the collisions, collision points. Pictures are also used for testifying.
What kind of photos should I take?
Many people assume they are simply posing their damaged car. Damage photos don’t capture the whole accident and might leave out critical details. Include images of skidding marks fractured glass scrapes and other wreckage debris. You should also take photos of what you suffered in a car collision. How can you capture a wound on a film without an experienced photographer? The more photos you take the more evidence you give that would affect our payment. We can send someone out there with pics of the scene and vehicle damage, your injuries and more.
Take photos from different angles and distances
Most of the photographs take place from three different perspectives and distances. For pictures taken at distances between one and five feet be prepared. If possible, choose differing flash intensities and/or take the same photos with and without flash. Test your camera’s settings to improve the photo quality.
Get Legal Help From an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Honolulu Now
If you have been injured in a car accident, we hope you now understand the importance of taking photos. You should also have a general understanding of what types of photos are relevant to your claim.
If you have questions about accident photos or would like to discuss your case for free, please call our Honolulu personal injury attorneys at Recovery Law Center. We are ready to review your accident, discuss your legal options, and develop a strategy for pursuing maximum compensation on your behalf.
Contact us now to schedule your free and confidential legal consultation.
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