Evidence After a Car Crash: Police Reports and Dashcam Video
Evidence from a car crash starts to disappear within hours. Vehicles get towed and repaired, video gets recorded over and witnesses become harder to find. A car accident attorney typically starts with the police report, photos, video and the data stored in the vehicles. This article explains how each source fits into a claim.
The police report
Officers who respond to a crash usually prepare a crash report, often called a police report. It usually records who was driving each vehicle and which insurer covers it, along with a diagram, a short narrative and any citations issued. In many states, drivers must also report crashes involving injury, death or property damage above a set dollar amount. Copies usually come from the responding agency, whether that is a city police department, a sheriff's office or the state highway patrol, sometimes for a fee.
Insurers rely heavily on the crash report, but it does not decide fault. States differ on whether an officer's opinions can be used at trial. When a report has a factual error, such as a wrong plate number, the agency may accept a request to correct or supplement it. A car accident lawyer will compare the report with the photos and statements.
Dashcam video and photographs
Dashcam video can show the https://shanezqxd998.lumenforgex.com/posts/how-fault-works-in-rear-end-and-t-bone-car-accidents moments before a crash more clearly than any witness. Keep the original file with its timestamp, rather than a phone recording of the screen, and make a backup copy. Nearby businesses, buses and traffic cameras may have recorded the crash too, but many systems overwrite footage within days or weeks. Scene photos can show where the vehicles stopped and the debris and skid marks around them, while photos of injuries taken over several weeks can document healing.
The event data recorder
Many passenger vehicles have an event data recorder (EDR). NHTSA describes an EDR as a device that records technical vehicle and occupant information for a brief period, measured in seconds, not minutes, surrounding a crash. Depending on the vehicle, the data may include speed and brake application as well as seat belt use. NHTSA's rule in 49 CFR Part 563 sets requirements for EDRs in light vehicles that have them. Under the Driver Privacy Act of 2015, EDR data generally belongs to the vehicle owner or lessee, and access by others is limited to situations such as owner consent or a court order.
EDR data can be lost when a car is repaired or sold for salvage. Insurers often move a total loss vehicle to a salvage auction quickly, so a car accident attorney may send a preservation letter asking the insurer or tow yard to hold the vehicle until the data can be downloaded.
Witnesses and medical records
Witnesses with no stake in the claim often carry weight. Collect their names and phone numbers at the scene when it is safe. Medical records connect the injuries to the crash, and gaps in treatment are often used by insurers to dispute a claim. A simple file with the claim number and a log of every call with the adjuster makes later questions easier to answer. Pain levels, missed work and appointments are worth noting in a journal while the details are fresh. This article is general information, not legal advice, and it does not predict the result of any claim.
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