They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to proving your case in accidents, this could not be more true. Pictures are an ideal way to preserve the scene of an accident for your lawyer and insurance company.
Here, we’ll go over how accident scene pictures can help your case as well as give you some tips on how to take them. Bear in mind that this is contingent on you being able to take pictures. Depending on the accident, you may be too badly injured to take accident scene pictures.
Types Of Accident Scenes To Take Pictures Of
Visible proof helps cases of all kinds. As such, whether you were in an auto accident, a truck accident, a bicycle accident, a slip & fall accident, or another type of accident, you could benefit from taking pictures of the scene.
How Pictures Help Your Case
Photos increase case value, improve credibility, and make proving the case easier. They help with the investigation and analyzing the scene. Accident scene pictures can also help to refresh your memory when talking to a representative about the accident. They make testimonies more memorable.
Witnesses can forget or remember things differently, people can lie, and you may have trouble talking about what happened. Pictures are a reliable piece of evidence of the scene that proves what occurred. If the other person involved claims that you’re at fault for what happened, pictures can show that you only had partial liability – or that you were not liable at all.
Tips For Taking Accident Scene Pictures
These tips are all contingent on you actually being able to take pictures. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may not have been able to take accident scene pictures. If you were severely injured, your focus is on waiting for medical attention. However, if it is at all possible for you to take pictures, it can greatly help your case and insurance claims.
The more pictures that you have, the more they can help your case. However, even if you only manage to snap one or two, these can still help more than not having any pictures would.
#1. Take Pictures ASAP
If possible, take pictures as soon after the accident occurs as you can. Investigators can also take pictures. If you are unable to, you can ask a witness or someone who is with you. If you happen to have a professional camera with you, this is best. However, most people only have their cell phones. Your tech may also have been damaged during the accident. Use what you can.
#2. Get Details
While you definitely want to get the full scene of the accident, if you can, don’t forget about details, like damage to the car, weather conditions, road conditions, and more. Including points of references, like a coin, can help communicate the size and scale.
Details give a more complete picture of what happened, such as tire skid marks and shake down (broken bits of cars, vehicles). If there aren’t any details like this, still take pictures, as the other person may try to claim otherwise.
Even if something does not seem important, little details can affect the case. This is especially true when you’re not sure what to document. The more accident scene pictures you have, the better.
#3. Get As Many Angles As Possible
Get pictures from multiple angles. Up close, far away, the full scene of the accident, little details like a scratch on your leg, etc.
Photograph everything involved. If a car, truck, or motorcycle was involved, photograph license plates. The interior of any vehicle can help too, especially if there is shattered glass and deployed airbags.
Photograph the surrounding environment, including signals, signs, trees, parked cars that may have blocked eyesight, etc. Including landmarks in each photo can depict the size and scale of the accident and work as a point of reference.
#4. Document Visible Injuries
Take pictures of any injuries. Bear in mind that many people are pumped up on adrenaline after an accident. They may not even realize that they are injured. Accidents can also cause injuries you cannot necessarily see, like internal bleeding and traumatic brain injuries. This is why it is crucial to seek medical attention after an accident, even if you think you’re fine.
This is also why you want to avoid saying that you are fine to anyone or on social media, because if symptoms do show up later, these comments will be used to try to prove that the accident did not cause your injury.
Don’t take pictures of other people’s injuries without their permission.
#5. Take Pictures Of Documents
This is something that most people already do, but it is still good to note, as if you’ve never been in an accident before, you might not know to do this. Take pictures of the other people involved’s documents, such as licenses and insurance information.
#6. Videos Can Help Too
If you can, you can also take videos in addition to accident scene pictures. Videos can show things that may be difficult to depict in pictures, such as showing how fast traffic was moving, how much time people had to react, whether there are blindspots, whether there was a distraction (like construction), and what would people have seen.
Have You Been In An Accident?
If you need a personal injury attorney, don’t hesitate to contact us here at LeBaron & Jensen for a free case consultation. We’re here to fight for justice and ensure that victims receive fair compensation.
