After a serious car accident, filing an insurance claim is often a key step in getting the restitution you deserve. However, proving that the other driver is at fault can be complicated and stressful.
More and more frequently, dashcam footage is proving helpful in establishing just how an accident took place. This real-time video footage may be exactly what emergency responders, insurance companies, or courts need to determine liability for the collision.
In the wake of a severe accident, the experienced legal team at Grover Law Firm can guide you through every step of the claims process. What’s more, we understand how dashcam footage can make a critical difference in the outcome of your case, and we can put the recorded evidence to work on your behalf. In this article, we will look into the potential impact and benefits of dashcam footage on car accident claims, as well as important legal and safety considerations.
How Dashcam Footage Can Aid Your Accident Claim and Investigation
Dashcams are compact video cameras that are mounted on your vehicle’s dashboard or windshield to capture footage of the road ahead and, in some cases, the vehicle’s interior or rear view. Certain models also record audio inside the car. The dashcam starts recording automatically when the ignition is turned on.
In the aftermath of a car accident, dashcam footage can prove beneficial during the legal proceedings in a number of ways.
Providing objective evidence
One of the most significant advantages of a dashcam is its role in providing concrete evidence of exactly what happened in the moments leading up to, during, and after the accident. Thus, this video evidence can be instrumental in establishing negligence and proving liability for the car crash.
When drivers dispute who was at fault for the accident, a dashcam can offer an objective view of how the accident occurred, potentially speeding up legal proceedings and protecting drivers from false accusations.
That said, dashcam recordings are unbiased. It may be that the footage clearly shows another driver causing the incident, but at the same time, any negligent or careless actions on your part will also be recorded.
Supporting insurance claims
Insurance companies rely on police reports, eyewitness statements, and other forms of evidence to determine fault after an accident. Dashcam footage can supplement such evidence by providing an authentic, real-time recording of what happened.
Dashcam recordings can help insurance adjusters make more accurate assessments, especially when the individuals involved give conflicting accounts of the incident. Your dashcam footage should be clear, time-stamped, and unaltered to ensure that insurance companies accept it.
Preventing fraudulent claims
Dashcam footage can protect you from false or exaggerated claims by other drivers or their insurance companies in the event of an accident.
Sadly, it is not unheard of for an individual to stage a car accident as a way of insurance fraud. A driver or pedestrian may deliberately cause a collision to claim compensation.
Dashcameras can protect you from these scams. They record all the events on the road, making it extremely difficult for erroneous claims to succeed.
Assisting law enforcement agencies
Dashcam footage can assist law enforcement agencies when investigating potential traffic violations, as well as in accident reconstruction. By analyzing the dashcam evidence, police officers and others gain insight into a driver’s behaviour, road conditions, and other contributing factors in the accident. Such information can have a significant impact on the outcome of a car accident case.
Understand the Legal Requirements for Using a Dashcam
Dashcam footage is generally admissible in court as long as it meets specific legal requirements. That being said, privacy, ethical, and safety concerns arise when it comes to using dashboard cameras.
Privacy concerns
Since dashcams record videos that may capture other drivers, pedestrians, or passengers without their explicit consent, there is potential for privacy concerns. In some instances, dashcam recordings could infringe upon privacy rights under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.
This may especially be the case if the footage is shared publicly, for instance, on social media. Thus, drivers should be mindful of privacy laws and use dashcams responsibly to avoid potential legal backlash. The last thing you want is for your valuable dashcam evidence to be thrown out because of privacy violations.
Ethical concerns
Dashcams are often installed inside commercial vehicles for security and accountability purposes. Companies that choose to install dashboard cameras must take employee privacy rights into consideration when doing so.
If the dashcam has interior recording features, employees should be informed of this and the purpose of the recordings. Transparent policies on data retention and usage will ensure that dashcams are used responsibly, mitigating the risk of possible ethical violations.
Safety concerns
To uphold the safety of everyone on the road, there are a number of distracted driving laws in place. For instance, the Traffic Safety Act prohibits drivers from using hand-held electronic devices while behind the wheel. While a dashcam is not a hand-held device, interacting with it while driving – such as changing settings or reviewing footage – could result in a crash and be a distracted driving law violation.
It is best practice to ensure your dashcam is properly mounted and correctly configured before entering the roadway, to avoid unsafe distractions while driving. These and other safe driving habits will ensure you aren’t the person implicated by the dashcam footage after an accident.
Reach Out to Dedicated Car Accident Attorneys for Dependable Advice
A serious car accident can upend your life in a single moment. You are likely reeling physically, emotionally, and financially. Under such difficult circumstances, any dashcam footage of the incident could serve as valuable evidence to uphold your injury claim.
When facing a car accident claim, you need a reliable advocate on your side. The injury lawyers at Grover Law Firm have dedicated their careers to helping accident victims like you successfully move forward from devastating events. When it comes to car accidents, our legal team is adept at using all available evidence, including dashcam footage, to get victims the fair compensation they deserve.
Please call us at the number below or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation. We are here to answer your questions and build your confidence as you pursue your car accident claim.