Why You Should Take Photos For Your Car Accident Claim

Drivers are discouraged from using smartphones while they are driving, but the features and apps on your phone can be an essential tool in the aftermath if you are involved in an accident. Not only should you immediately call the police and Stewart Law Offices, but you should also take advantage of the phone’s built-in camera to take pictures and document the scene.

You should use your camera to take as many photos as possible of your crash scene. No lawyer will ever tell you that you took too many.

Not all people think to take photos in the disorienting aftermath of a crash, but many quickly regret not having done so. In many cases, the pictures victims take can prove to be crucial evidence.

Stewart Law Offices has South Carolina car accident lawyers throughout the Carolinas. Call us or complete an online contact form to let our car accident attorneys provide an honest and thorough evaluation of your case during a free consultation. You need to act quickly to give yourself the best chance of recovering the compensation you need and deserve.

If you suffered severe injuries or your loved one was killed in an automobile accident in South Carolina, do not wait to get help from an attorney.

Pictures Are an Important Type of Evidence

Many car accident scenes will be quickly cleaned up. Vehicles are towed away, glass and other debris are swept up, and traffic will be allowed to pass freely over the scene.

Photographs are a valuable form of evidence because they capture the position of vehicles after a collision, the damage to each vehicle, and other essential information. The pictures you take can help provide irrefutable proof of where the impact occurred and can capture other evidence like tire skid marks or traffic signs that were obstructed.

In short, pictures can dramatically increase the strength of your injury claim. For that reason, you should take as many pictures as possible.

Be sure to take pictures from various angles and distances. The variety of perspectives you capture is important because something important that is obstructed in one photo may be visible in another. Consider using the video feature on your phone’s camera if available.

Also ensure that your photos are time-stamped, which is usually a sequence of encoded information that establishes the time and date that an event occurred. The date and time are automatically stored in the metadata on most smartphones, but people using actual cameras should ensure dates and times are accurate.

What Happens When You Don’t Take Photos?

Many people don’t think to photograph their crash scenes. Failure to take pictures does not necessarily ruin a personal injury claim, but it can make it more difficult to obtain compensation in some cases.

Without pictures of the accident scene, the insurance companies then rely on an independent analysis of the crash. They will usually inspect the vehicles after they have been towed away from crash scenes and then try to use the physical signs of damage to piece together how an accident occurred.

Not surprisingly, there can be disputes between insurers about how an accident occurred when there aren’t any photos to settle these disputes. Without hard evidence to support specific injury claims, it can make it more difficult for a victim to recover proper compensation.

Try to Take Pictures of Everything Relating to the Accident

When you are taking pictures of a crash scene, you should make sure to photograph everything relating to the accident. The vehicles involved are undoubtedly important, and you should take photos of them first.

In addition to the damaged areas of these vehicles, also look for any other notable circumstances of the vehicles that might be good to record. Leaking fluid, frayed wires, and loose parts can all be beneficial to get pictures of. Look for any skid marks.

Were there any items on the roadway that contributed to your crash? Get pictures of those. If there were any signs on the roadway directing traffic, take photographs of those too. Virtually any item on the road that was involved in your crash should be photographed.

Don’t be afraid to take pictures of the people at the scene of the accident as well. This includes police officers, firefighters, emergency responders, witnesses, and any other individuals.

Don’t forget to take pictures of your injuries. You want to do this well before you make any court appearance, as your injuries will have had time to heal by that point. When you have photographs of your injuries at their worst, it makes for very compelling evidence.

What If I Am Unable to Take Photos After My Car Accident?

Many victims cannot remain at or return to the crash scene to take pictures because they require immediate medical care. In such situations, victims should not hesitate to ask somebody else to take photographs for them.

Friends or family members are a wise choice, especially if they are already at the scene of the accident. If those options are unavailable, people should try any other possible acquaintance that might be able to assist, including co-workers.

When other people saw the crash, a victim could also ask one of the witnesses to take pictures for them. Many witnesses are eager to be of assistance to injury victims and will usually be happy to help in whatever way they can.

What Photos You Should Take and How to Take Them

Try to consider all of the different items that are involved in your accident scene. Make sure that you photograph everything that seems the most important to you, and then take pictures of everything else that does not appear as meaningful. You never know what the images you capture could ultimately lead to. In some cases, photographs provide significant breakthroughs.

Contact Us for Help After a Car Crash in South Carolina

Did you sustain serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a car accident in South Carolina? Contact Stewart Law Offices as soon as possible.

Our firm has been fighting for car crash victims since 1995. You can have our South Carolina car accident attorneys review your case and answer all of your legal questions as soon as you call us or contact us online to set up a free consultation.