If you were involved in a car accident, evidence of liability is essential in ensuring you can recover compensation from the negligent party. One of the most valuable pieces of evidence you can use in a car accident case is surveillance footage. Whether it is from traffic cameras, nearby businesses, dashcams, etc. video evidence can be extremely influential in determining fault. Work with an experienced San Mateo County, California car accident lawyer to learn more about your legal options and obtain skilled representation.
How Can Surveillance Footage Impact a Car Accident Case?
One of the most significant ways surveillance footage can impact your car accident case is by helping to establish liability. Collisions can occur anywhere but if the crash happens in an intersection, parking lot, or commercial road, security cameras may have captured the accident. The footage could have captured the accident and prove which driver was at fault. This is especially beneficial in a case where liability is unclear or disputed.
Either side will be biased toward their own version of events. Surveillance footage can serve as an objective and neutral account of the accident, showing an insurance company, jury, or judge exactly how the events occured. The drivers’ stories and witness testimony could have been altered by biases or details could have been forgotten over time. Video evidence, however, does not fall prey to these issues. When the drivers involved have stories that conflict with the other’s, surveillance footage provides an impartial and truthful view of what actually happened.
Limitations of Surveillance Footage
Although the use of surveillance footage in a car accident case can be helpful, there are potential limitations or challenges associated with it. Not all roads or areas are covered by surveillance cameras and some businesses or residents put up fake cameras to deter theft or crime.
There is also a chance that the angle of the camera did not capture the crash or the full extent of it. Depending on the quality of the video and the angle or distance of the camera compared to the crash, the footage may not be clear or provide definite evidence. The video may only have captured the aftermath of the collision, not how it happened, or be too grainy to tell with any certainty which driver is liable.
Footage can also be altered or lost, making it unreliable. Many businesses only store footage for a certain amount of time before it is deleted. It is important to act quickly after the accident to request videos before they become unavailable. For more information on how you can utilize surveillance footage during your case, reach out to an experienced attorney at the Law Office of Allister R. Liao, P.C. today.
