In a Personal Injury Case, A Picture Really Is Worth 1,000 Words

In a Personal Injury Case, A Picture Really Is Worth 1,000 Words

• July 12
• Evans/Reilley
• Car Accidents Personal Injury

Skid marks, a dented guardrail, and shards of red plastic on the road, when viewed together, tell a story. These remnants of traffic accidents can help investigators determine exactly what happened, but when a crash occurs, it may not occur to the parties involved to get pictures of the immediate surroundings.

If you are involved in a car accident, or any other type of accident that causes injury, take as many pictures as possible. They might just help you, or your attorney, prove an important point.

Documenting the Scene

If you’re at the grocery store with a friend, and your friend slips, falls, and seriously injures her back, she might be angry if you snap a photograph of her. But in this instance, it might be one the best ways you can help her in the long run.

Grocery stores and major retailers often have teams of attorneys that work hard to discredit the claims of personal injury victims. Documenting the scene – the injured person, the surroundings, and the people who come to the victim’s aid – may help strengthen the victim’s case.

Vehicle Crash Details

In the immediate aftermath of a crash, it can be difficult to think clearly. So when you go to exchange information with the other driver or drivers, you might inadvertently make a mistake when jotting down details, or in a few hours, you may find you can’t decipher your own handwriting or have lost that important scrap of paper.

Consider photographing the driver’s license and insurance cards for other drivers, so you have a digital record you can’t misplace. Then snap photos of the license plates and damage to the vehicles, as well as any evidence at the scene, like crash debris.

Make note of the time of day. You could do a screenshot of your smartphone that shows the time. Take pictures of roadside traffic signs and street signs, so you know exactly where the crash occurred.

If you are injured, you may be unable to get photographs. Once you’ve called for emergency help, if you have an uninjured passenger in your car, ask them to take photographs for you (and of you). And if you are ever in this position yourself – the uninjured passenger – look out for your friend’s best interests by documenting the scene to the best of your ability.

Video Leaves Little Room for Interpretation

You may remember the video of security forcibly dragging a passenger off a United Airlines flight. At least two other passengers had the awareness to record video of the incident – without that footage, the airline could have easily said the passenger was exaggerating his account of what happened. But the video shows the extreme force used in removing the man from the plane.

You don’t need to be personally involved in an accident to shoot video or photos. If you see a potentially harmful event unfold and can safely capture photographic evidence, you may be able to help the injury victims pursue compensation for their injuries.

If you have questions about how photo or video evidence might apply to your situation, discuss it with one of our experienced attorneys. Call today at 1-855-414-1012 or fill out our online contact form to find out how we can help you.