From the infamous Four-Level Interchange to the I-5 and beyond, getting around Southern California safely is a challenge for many drivers. If you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’s important to know what to do to protect your rights. One thing that car accident victims should do is make sure they take car accident pictures for legal and insurance purposes. The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani have some tips about what to capture in car accident photos, how to store and use them, and more.
Importance of Photos After a Car Accident
Getting clear photos after a car accident is important for many reasons:
- Documenting damage: Taking photos of the damage to your vehicle is a good way to have clear evidence of what happened. It also shows the extent of the damage to all vehicles involved, which is helpful when filing claims and during legal proceedings.
- Establishing fault: In some cases, accident scene photography can show vital details like the position of vehicles, skid marks, or traffic signs that may help determine who was at fault.
- Supporting your claim: Having an abundance of photos can serve as evidence to support your insurance claim and show the severity of things like property damage and physical injuries.
- Reminder of the incident: As time goes on, remembering the details of your accident might fade, but photos will help to refresh your memory of what happened that day when you need to testify in court or file a claim.
- Helps build your case: Clear, detailed photos may help to strengthen your case and improve your chances of getting the compensation you deserve.
What To Capture in Photos
Taking photos after a car accident is important, but what you capture in those photos is even more vital to prove your case. Here’s what you should try to capture in your car accident pictures.
The accident scene
Start by photographing the overall accident scene, but only when it’s safe to do so. Make sure you include the position of all vehicles and the surrounding areas. When applicable, snap photos of nearby traffic signs and road conditions.
Damage
Take as many clear photographs of the damage to your vehicle as you can. This includes every dent, ding, and scratch that you can find. The more detailed photos of vehicle damage you have, the stronger your case will be.
Injuries
You should always see a medical professional after you’ve been in an accident. However, it’s also important to take some photos of your injuries. If you have bruises, cuts, or scrapes, have your doctor or someone you trust take pictures of you and those injuries to use as evidence.
Witnesses
While it might seem unconventional, getting a few photos of any witnesses who saw the accident can’t hurt. You can also take a few photographs of first responders, including police officers, ambulance and/or medical personnel, or fire personnel, if they were at the scene.
Best Practices for Taking Photos
Understanding the importance of accident photos and knowing which photos to take is just part of the process when capturing effective vehicle accident photos. Remember these best practices to help you make sure that you’re getting the best images possible to support your case.
Get your pictures as soon as possible
Car accidents are chaotic, and you might be in shock afterward, but capturing photos of the scene as soon as possible after the accident is extremely important. Try to document details like road conditions and vehicle positions before first responders arrive. Remember only to take these photos if it’s safe, and always ask for medical assistance if you’ve been injured. If you can’t take photos right after the accident, politely ask a witness, family member, or friend to help you.
It’s all in the details
Car accident photos are a form of evidence, so you should photograph every single detail you can before your car is removed from the scene. This includes everything from broken windows and dents to deployed airbags and damaged tires. Don’t forget to snap some photos of fluid leaks and engine damage, too. While some of these details might not seem important, they’re quite consequential during a legal court case and certain insurance situations.
Get as many angles as possible
A general overview of your smashed vehicle isn’t always enough to provide definitive evidence. Try to take photos from several angles, including close-up shots of dents and scratches. Make sure that all of your photos are clear and not blurry. Take a few steps back and grab even more snapshots from a distance and every angle you can, including the front, back, and sides of your vehicle.
Managing and Storing Photos
Once you’ve taken your car accident photos, proper management and storage of those photos are key. Take the pictures you captured from your camera or smartphone and download them onto a computer or move them to virtual storage like Google Drive so you have a reliable backup. Look through the photos and rename or label them accordingly. You can also organize the images into folders describing various aspects of the accident, so it’s easier to find what you need later.
Legal and Insurance Considerations
Here’s how car accident photos are used for legal and insurance considerations.
- Damage and liability: Many insurance companies use photos to help assess damage and determine liability.
- Who is at fault: Your accident attorney may use your photos to help support your claim and build your case to determine who was at fault.
- Evidence: Clear, accurate photos serve as evidence in legal cases where who is at fault is disputed or whenever the specific type of damage is assessed.
- Compensation: Detailed pictures of damage and injuries help establish the extent of those things so that you can make a stronger claim for compensation.
Contact The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani Today
If you’re looking for an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney, trust the team at The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani. We specialize in vehicle accident and injury cases, and we’ve successfully handled many personal injury cases resulting in million-dollar verdicts. Call us at (888) 912-7115 or contact us to set up your no-cost case evaluation!