A car accident may happen when you least expect it. It’s a good idea to do whatever you can to protect yourself if it should happen to you. Would a dash cam help you in case of a California car accident?
When you think of a dashcam, you probably think of footage captured by law enforcement, but dash cams in civilian vehicles are becoming more and more common. A dashcam is a small recording device that can be installed in a vehicle that can capture both visual and auditory information about events that happen outside the vehicle, and it’s a device that is very affordable.
How a Dash Cam Can Be Useful
When two or more people are at the same incident, it can be very surprising how differently they recall what happened. While a driver who has caused an accident may intentionally leave out information or distort important details, witnesses don’t usually mean to distort the truth. They simply don’t recall all the details with total accuracy.
Modern technology has a solution to this problem. When witness statements drastically conflict with each other, having a recorded version of the incident can provide clarity and help to settle discrepancies between conflicting statements.
A Possible Source of Evidence
When you file a claim after an accident, it can be difficult to provide proof about everything that led up to the accident and how the collision occurred. The two drivers involved may each have a story about what happened, and it may not be clear to others who was at fault. Law enforcement and insurance companies attempt to recreate the way the accident happened based on weather conditions, lighting, skid marks, visible damage to the vehicles, and witness statements.
A dash cam recording of the car accident provides a source of evidence that can be very helpful for your claim, as long as the recording captured enough detail to prove liability. There is the possibility that your dash cam may not show a complete picture of what happened during a car accident, but it may be able to capture some valuable information such as:
- Seat belt usage
- Driver speed
- Road conditions
- Application of brakes
- Documentation of witness statements
If the other driver is trying to cover up certain behavior, such as having an open container of alcohol or texting while driving, dash cam video may be able to prove your statements about what they were doing.
Other Considerations
You also have to consider the fact that having a dash cam will provide evidence if you were doing anything wrong. If you provide a dashcam recording as evidence, the insurance company will probably scrutinize footage to try to find evidence against you.
For most people, a dash cam provides more benefits than disadvantages. Besides possibly providing evidence after an accident, it also allows parents to have an idea of how their teen is doing behind the wheel. It can also provide documented evidence about what goes on during a police stop.
After a California Accident
If you have been injured in a California accident due to the negligence of another driver, it’s a good idea to obtain legal advice from an expert in the field of personal injury. Kuvara Law Firm would like to help. Contact us by filling out the form on this page and one of our lawyers will contact you to set up your free consultation. If you have footage from a dash cam, it may help your case. Get in touch and we can discuss and evaluate the details of your accident.
