How Crash Reports and Dashcam Video Shape a Car Accident Claim
Evidence from a car crash starts to disappear within hours. Cars are towed and repaired, video is overwritten and witnesses become harder to find. An auto accident lawyer usually looks first at 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, often for a small 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. If the report contains a factual error, such as a wrong plate number, the agency may accept a request for a correction or a supplement. An auto accident attorney will check the report against the photos and statements.
Dashcam video and photographs
Dashcam footage can capture the seconds before a crash better than a witness can. Save the original file with its date and time stamp, rather than a phone recording of the screen, and store a backup copy. Traffic cameras and nearby businesses may also have recorded the crash, though many systems record over footage within days or weeks. Scene photos can show where the vehicles stopped and the debris and skid marks around them, and photos of injuries taken over several weeks can show how they changed.
What the vehicle itself recorded
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, around the time of 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 others may access it only in limited situations, such as with the owner's consent or a court order.
EDR data can be lost if the car is repaired or crushed. Total loss vehicles are often moved to salvage auctions within weeks, so an automobile 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
Independent witnesses carry weight because they have no stake in the claim. Their names and phone numbers should be collected at https://gregorygdmw864.brightsora.com/posts/nhtsa-traffic-crash-statistics-on-speeding-and-drunk-driving the scene if it is safe to do so. Medical records link 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 is general information rather than legal advice, and no result can be predicted from it.