When you are battling with the insurance companies for a fair settlement, you will need lots of evidence to prove your claim. One of the best types of evidence is photographic evidence. Photographic evidence of the scene of an accident can help establish fault, show the extent of the damage, and prove what you are claiming about the accident to be true. Fortunately, nowadays, it’s easier than ever to get photographs after an accident thanks to smartphones. However, you need to make sure you take the right photographs.
Why You Need Good Photographs
The insurance companies are not in the business of paying claims, they are in the business of making money. So no matter what evidence you present, they will do everything they can to undermine the validity of the evidence. With photographs, they will say they are doctored or the damage wasn’t as bad because of the angle. They will even claim that you set up the accident yourself as a way to make money. So taking good photographs can really help combat their false claims about your accident.
What Photographs To Take After An Accident
If you are not in need of immediate medical attention, following an accident you should take pictures of the following: ● Your vehicle from all sides, whether they are damaged or not. Make sure to take them from several different angles.
● The other driver’s vehicle, from all sides as well.
● Any damages parts. Make sure to take them from multiple angles and both close up and far away.
● Any debris on the road from your vehicle’s damage and any tire or skid marks on the ground.
● The license plate of your vehicle and the license plate of the vehicle(s) of other driver(s)
● The accident itself.
● The scene of the accident including traffic signs or lights, any construction, or anything else that may have contributed to the accident.
All of these pictures will show the details of the accident and help prove your claims about the event.
How Many Photographs Should I Take?
Fortunately, will smartphones you can take several photographs at once. When taking photographs of an accident, you can never have too many. A good rule of thumb is to take more than you think is necessary. Also, if possible, make sure to immediately upload and store them on the cloud using iCloud or Google Drive. This will help make sure they don’t get lost if something happens to your phone. One of the best things about newer technology is that your photographs will also be time stamped. However, if you use a digital camera instead of a smartphone, make sure to turn on your time stamp feature.
What To Do With The Photographs
Once you have taken all the photographs, you’ll want to give them to your attorney. Your attorney can help sort through the photos to find the pictures that best showcase your claims about the accident. They will also corroborate the photographs with other pieces of evidence like mechanic reports, surveillance video, and testimony. With the photographs you took, your attorney will be able to build a strong case.
Photographic evidence is just one of the things that will help support your claim.
The St. Pete’s Lawyer, Michael Babboni can help you obtain the rest. With decades of experience protecting auto accident victims, Michael Babboni knows exactly what evidence to collect and present to the insurance companies to get a fair settlement for his clients. Following an accident, give him a call at 1-727-381-9200 and he’ll fight to get you the settlement you deserve.
