Can I Use Photos and Videos As Evidence in an Illinois Car Accident?

 Posted on July 24, 2020 in Personal Injury

In many car accidents, the events leading up to the collision are not always agreed upon by all of the parties involved in the crash. Maybe a vehicle ran through a stop sign and into an intersection without stopping. Perhaps a driver became distracted by his or her cellphone while driving on the road and rear-ended the vehicle in front of him or her. Those situations may seem fairly simple, but the details of all cases can be disputed. If you are involved in a car accident and suffer injuries, the last thing you will want to do is dispute with your insurance company over the events of the collision. Having sufficient evidence of your own ensures your side of the story is told accurately and the extent of your injuries and damages are documented properly, which helps in seeking compensation.

Why It Is Important to Take Photos and Videos at the Scene

Car accidents can be extremely stressful events to go through, not only emotionally, but also in a physical sense. Even if you are not physically injured, your body’s natural response to stress, also known as the fight or flight response, can be triggered. The fight or flight response is aptly named due to the flood of hormones from the sympathetic nervous system that either prompt and prepare us to stay and fight the danger before us or to turn around and flee from it. This stress response is also typically responsible for classic symptoms such as:

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure

• Compromised pain response

• Dilated pupils

• Heightened senses

• Tense or nervous feelings

• Temporary loss of bladder control

The biggest reason why it is extremely risky to rely on memory alone to recount an accident is that memories are also affected by the stress response. In many cases, a traumatic event such as a car accident can change memories or block them out altogether. With the invention of cellphones and smartphones, in particular, capturing and sharing photos and videos is easier than it has ever been before. Some insurance companies even have apps that allow you to submit photos of the damage directly from your phone to speed up the claims process.

What to Document

It is always a good idea to have more pictures than you need as opposed to not enough. Video can be helpful if you feel that it is necessary to convey the entirety of the situation, but most of the time, pictures will suffice. Try to get as many photos as you can from multiple angles and positions and try to include shots of:

• License plates of all vehicles involved in the crash

• Damage to any cars involved, including yours

• The scene of the accident as a whole

• Weather conditions

• Skid marks on the roadway

• Damaged objects, such as surrounding landscaping

• Relevant street signs or traffic lights

• Surrounding businesses

• Vehicles whose drivers stopped to offer assistance

Contact a DuPage County Personal Injury Attorney

Nobody expects to get into a car accident when they get behind the wheel, yet millions of people find themselves in that situation every year. If you have been injured in a vehicle collision, you should speak with a knowledgeable Lombard, IL car accident lawyer who can guide you through the compensation process with your insurance company and help you explore other options for financial remedies if another driver was at fault. To learn more by scheduling a free consultation at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices, call us today at 630-932-9100.

Sources:

https://www.allstate.com/tr/car-insurance/in-case-of-a-car-accident.aspx

https://www.aarp.org/auto/driver-safety/info-2019/what-to-do-after-car-accident.html

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-to-your-body-during-the-fight-or-flight-response/