Being involved in a car accident is stressful enough without having to worry about sticking to a to-do list afterward. But it's important to do what you can to make a record of what happened. Once you've made sure everyone is okay, one of your top priorities should be taking pictures of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and other details related to the crash. By carefully and thoroughly photographing the aftermath of your crash, you can protect your legal rights in any resulting car accident lawsuit or insurance claim.
After a car accident it's common for disagreements to crop up over:
Taking photographs of the scene and other details surrounding the accident is a great way to preserve evidence you can present to insurance adjusters who are investigating your claim. Pictures of the accident scene will also be a big asset if a personal injury lawsuit is filed as a result of the accident.
These photos can be used to help create a record of:
Pictures like these can also help refresh your memory down the road when you're speaking to the insurance company or testifying in a car accident deposition or in court.
Keep in mind that you're simply trying to preserve evidence, not win any photography awards. So any type of device that takes pictures will suffice—for most people, that means a smartphone camera.
Whatever device you're using, do your best to take advantage of its capabilities and work within its limitations. For example:
It may not be obvious which details of the accident will become important later on. So the more pictures you can take, the better. If you have a device with limited storage capacity, choose your photographs carefully. But, if you can take a lot of pictures and then sort through them later, that's the best way to go.
Try to take pictures of:
It's best to take a wide variety of photos. Try to snap photographs from at least three different angles and distances:
When taking pictures of vehicles and the surrounding area, try to keep a common landmark in each of the photographs in order to demonstrate distance and scale.
After a car accident, it's important to know how to preserve the evidence that will help you get compensated fairly. If you've been in an accident, you can read more about how to file an insurance claim. Depending on the severity of your injuries, your economic losses, and how the claims process goes, you may want to consider filing a car accident lawsuit. Before you do, it would probably be a good idea to speak with an attorney who can advise you about the best way to proceed.