Proving who was at fault for a crash can be a difficult process. Drivers who broke the law or behaved negligently at the wheel often want to avoid responsibility. They may withhold information or blatantly lie about what happened before a crash.
Those hoping to hold another driver accountable for a recent wreck may need evidence that they can provide to police officers, insurance professionals or the courts. Dashboard-mounted cameras, also called dashcams, can be a crucial source of evidence.
Dashboard cameras provide objective evidence
Sometimes, car crashes occur at busy locations. There may be multiple other people present who can verify what happened and help ensure that the police report identifies the right person as the party at fault. Other times, there may not be any objective witnesses able to provide information about a crash.
The situation quickly devolves into a he-said, she-said scenario where both drivers might make very different claims about what happened before the crash. In such cases, the presence of the dashcam in either vehicle could help resolve the matter.
The footage recorded by a dashcam can help verify exactly what happened prior to and during a major motor vehicle collision. Instead of relying on the honesty of the drivers involved or the ability to reverse engineer crash circumstances by looking at the placement of the vehicles, police officers investigating collisions can quickly access information about what exactly occurred.
Drivers typically have an obligation to provide dashcam footage to police officers. The footage could also be subject to discovery requests from the other party involved in the crash if a lawsuit occurs. Insurance professionals may also want to review dashboard camera footage to see if there were clear violations of traffic statutes that occurred.
Dashcams can help establish who was at fault for the crash and therefore who might be liable. The footage that they provide can help affirm that one driver did something illegal or negligent that may open them up to direct liability for the collision and its aftermath.
Those hoping to pursue justice after a car wreck may need help reviewing and collecting evidence, and that’s okay. Dashboard camera footage can be an important component of a personal injury claim after a major motor vehicle collision.