Can Surveillance Footage Help Prove Fault in a Car Accident?

Are you wondering, “What happens after a car crash that is not your fault?” The answer is that the at-fault driver could owe you compensation for the harm you’ve suffered as a result. Surveillance camera footage of the accident or its aftermath can be a crucial piece of evidence to help prove that the other driver is to blame for what happened.

Types of Surveillance Footage to Seek

There are three main types of surveillance footage that you could use to prove the other driver’s fault. Your car accident attorney in Alabama can help you seek video footage from the following:

• Private Security Cameras – These cameras are around private businesses and residences. If the accident occurred in front of private property, the property owner’s security cameras may have captured it. Your lawyer can help you seek the footage from the owner.
• Traffic Cameras – Public traffic cameras are typically found at intersections. Police use these cameras to identify criminal suspects, but individuals can also seek the footage from these cameras for use in civil cases.
• Dashboard Cameras – These are cameras installed within vehicles. You may be able to use footage from a dashboard camera installed in your vehicle, the other driver’s vehicle, or a third-party vehicle.

How Surveillance Footage Can Help Your Car Accident Claim

Video surveillance footage can help your case in two main ways. The first is by simply identifying the driver who struck you. If you were the victim of a hit-and-run, surveillance footage may have captured the offending vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate. This can make it easier for police to track and identify them so you can file a claim against their liability insurance.

The second way surveillance footage can help is by showing how the car wreck occurred. The other driver may claim that you struck them or that they don’t know what happened. However, the footage will speak for itself if the accident was captured on camera.

How to Obtain Surveillance Footage in Car Accident Cases

Obtaining surveillance footage can be tricky because you have to identify the camera that captured the accident and access the footage before it gets overwritten. Surveillance cameras typically only save the footage for a short period before overwriting it with new footage to save space. For this reason, you must contact an attorney as soon as possible so they can identify and request access to the surveillance footage before it’s too late.

How Stokes Stemle, LLC, Can Help

If you were injured in an Alabama car accident, surveillance footage can prove that the other driver was at fault. However, to obtain the footage you need and make the most of it in your case, you must work with an experienced Alabama car accident lawyer.

Contact Stokes Stemle, LLC, for a free consultation about your case. We’ll review the details of the accident and go over how our firm will perform a thorough investigation of the incident, gather key evidence like surveillance footage, identify all liable parties, file your claim within the deadline, and represent you in settlement negotiations and litigation.