Taking Pictures After A Car Accident: The Information You Need To Capture With Your Camera

Following a car accident, it is advised that you use a camera to take pictures of the accident. Since most people have cell phones with cameras, this process is easier than ever. Unfortunately, though, many people make the mistake of only take one or two pictures and not capturing everything that they should be. The pictures you take following a car accident can be crucial in determining who was at fault for the accident and why the accident occurred, both of which can affect your insurance claim and any personal injury claim you may file if you are injured. If you have been involved in an auto accident, here are three important things that you need to capture with your camera after the accident. 

Both Vehicles From Different Angles

After a car crash, you will want to take pictures of all of the involved cars from different angles. If the cars have not yet moved, be sure and take several pictures of the cars exactly as they are following the impact. Many people make the mistake of only photographing the damage to their car or only photographing the car from one angle. Taking several pictures can be key in showing what angles the cars collided at, which may help to establish fault. 

The Conditions When the Accident Occurred

Another bit of information that you want to document through photographs is the conditions when the accident occurred. This may include the amount of light that was out or the weather. In some cases, the other driving may not have been going above the posted speed limit. But if it was raining heavily out, they may have been traveling faster than they should. Documenting the conditions helps to show whether weather, visibility or other factors may have played a role in the accident or whether the other driver should have been more cautious based on these conditions. 

Anything That May Have Contributed to the Accident

Lastly, be sure to take a picture of anything else that you feel may have contributed to the accident. Was a stop sign blocked by an overgrown tree? Did a giant pothole cause you to slow down and get rear-ended? In some cases, a third party may be responsible for the accident, such as the city or county. Once the tree branches are trimmed, or the pothole is filled in, you will have a hard time showing that this third party may have had some responsibility in the accident. This is why it is so important to document it with pictures. 

If you are not injured, it is strongly advised that you take pictures of the accident and accident scene following a car crash. These cameras can help to establish who was at fault or what led to the accident, which can be vital if you wind up with injuries and need to file a personal injury case. If you have been injured in a car accident, be sure to consult with a car accident attorney and show them the pictures you took of the accident scene.


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