Photos of Your Accident - How Valuable is it?

Ok, you’re having a very normal day. Everything seems fine, you cross the green light and you hear a huge screech coming your way. Before you have time to realize what happens a car some smashing into your side because he cut a red light. You are shaken up, check for injuries on both side and both of you seem fine. The cars however are a different story all together. You call the police and now just wait for them to show up. There is another important step that many people don’t think about doing. Taking pictures of the scene.

It used to be quite impossible to get cameras on the scene quickly but these days almost everyone has a camera phone handy and they really should use this opportunity. Using pictures to document the accident scene has many advantages. I will go into the techniques later on but suffice to say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is especially handy when the insurance adjuster comes along to get a better idea of what happened.

Ok, so what pictures should you take? The first and most important picture to take is the cars and the damage sustained by both the cars. Remember that you must take pictures from different angles so it is obvious what happened. Always be aware of sunlight and shadows which can cause glare or make things impossible to see. The general rule is to always get 3 pictures of the same area from different angles. In addition to angles, close-up and distance shots are also important. The close-up should be taken from 3-5 feet away while the distance show should be taken from 20-40 feet away. Always try to keep the shot together with a land-mark so it is easier to identify where the shot was taken exactly.

Naturally, the more shots you take the better. Under most circumstances you will have limited time to get the shots so getting the right ones is very important. Your shots should tell a story of what happened and convey a general understanding to the viewer of the conditions that allowed the accident to take place. In our case study of two cars T-boning each other. You should take the picture of the approaching angle of the other car and also the angle from which you were coming from.

It is also important to take the picture of how the cars have come to a rest after the accident. The resting positions of the cars are very important to determine who was wrong. Even if the accident was your fault you should also take pictures of the other car just so the owner of the other car doesn’t decide to claim more than he/she ought too. The picture proof of the damage is very important should there be any disagreements later on.

Take pictures of the road and also the road conditions at the time. Take pictures of the intersection and also enough photos to get an idea of the traffic condition at the time. Take pictures of any road signs or any stop signs that you or your victim might have ran. This has two benefits. Firstly, it will help you get a clearer picture of what is going on when you are making your statement and also maybe a year down where you might need to present your photos to the court judgment purposes.

You should also take photos of the skid marks if any. Sometimes water splash from a broken radiator can also be very telling sign on what actually took place in during the accident. The same can be said if any engine oil is leaked out. Take a picture of any liquids that come out as it can be very helpful to you in the future. If you find that they aren’t any skid marks then it means that the other driver might not be paying attention so it could certainly be in your favor.

While doing all your photographing it is vital that you be very careful. Even though passer-bys will automatically slow down if they see an accident you still have to be careful that you don’t get knocked down or injured further trying to get photos of the accident. Get the best photos possible but don’t endanger yourself because of it.

You might also have to take photos after the fact. This is particularly true if there is any physical injuries that you might have. Take immediate pictures of cuts that you have experience. At a later time when bruises are fully formed, you must also take photos of them.

All the photographs that you take will play a important part in the settlement process for your claims. Most newer insurance companies have embraced the idea of accident documentation. They know that a picture is worth so much more than a written statement.