Evidence After a Car Accident: Police Reports and Dashcam Video
The evidence in a car crash claim starts to scatter within hours. Cars are towed and repaired, video is overwritten and witnesses become hard to reach. A car accident lawyer typically starts with the police report and any photos or video, then the data stored in the vehicles. Here is how each source fits into a claim.
The crash report
Officers who respond to a crash usually prepare a crash report, often called a police report. It typically lists the drivers and vehicles involved, with insurance details for each, and it often includes a diagram, a short narrative and any citations. In many states, drivers must also report crashes involving injury, death or property damage above a set dollar amount. Copies are usually available from the agency that responded, whether that is a city police department, a sheriff's office or the state highway patrol, sometimes for a fee.
A crash report is influential in insurance claims, but it is not the final word on fault. States differ on whether an officer's opinions can be used at trial. When a report has a factual error, such as a wrong plate number, the agency may https://caraccidentlawyers.wiki/topics/crashes/ accept a request to correct or supplement it. An auto accident attorney will check the report against the photos and statements.
Photos and dashcam footage
Dashcam footage can capture the seconds before a crash better than a witness can. Keep the original file with its timestamp, instead of a phone recording of the screen, and make a backup copy. Nearby businesses, buses and traffic cameras may have recorded the crash too, though many systems record over footage within days or weeks. Photos taken at the scene show vehicle positions, debris, skid marks and road signs, and photos of injuries taken over several weeks can show how they changed.
What the vehicle itself recorded
Many passenger vehicles have an event data recorder (EDR). NHTSA describes an EDR as a device that records technical vehicle and occupant information for a brief period, seconds rather than minutes, surrounding a crash. Depending on the vehicle, the data may include speed and brake application as well as seat belt use. NHTSA's rule in 49 CFR Part 563 sets requirements for EDRs in light vehicles that have them. Under the Driver Privacy Act of 2015, EDR data generally belongs to the vehicle owner or lessee, and access by others is limited to situations such as owner consent or a court order.
EDR data can be lost when a car is repaired or sold for salvage. Insurers often move a total loss vehicle to a salvage auction quickly, so a motor vehicle accident lawyer may send a preservation letter asking the insurer or tow yard to hold the vehicle until the data can be downloaded.
Witness statements and medical records
Independent witnesses carry weight because they have no stake in the claim. Their names and phone numbers should be collected at the scene if it is safe to do so. Medical records connect the injuries to the crash, and insurers often point to gaps in treatment to dispute a claim. Keeping the claim number in one place, with a log of each call to the adjuster, makes later questions easier to answer. Pain levels, missed work and appointments are worth noting in a journal while the details are fresh. This is general information rather than legal advice, and it does not predict the result of any claim.