How to Secure Surveillance Footage of your Car Accident in California

Car accidents are unexpected. Most happen quickly, and those involved think about their safety first.
However, after a car crash, people will try to reconstruct the events. There may be police or paramedics on the scene who will ask you to recount the events leading up to the accident. Often, there may be a better way to obtain the details of an accident. With highway cameras and local business surveillance, video footage may be an excellent way to get non-biased evidence of what actually occurred.
Obtaining video surveillance footage immediately after an accident can help demonstrate who was the negligent party. However, these digital records must be promptly obtained before they are erased. Coordinating with car accident attorneys at the Law Office of Daniel H. Rose is the best way to request and review any wrongdoing caught on camera.

Types of Camera Footage

In every personal injury case, the person who brings the claim is responsible for proving that another driver was negligent. Many types of evidence can contribute to this. However, video evidence is the most powerful. It can show how the car crash happened. Video can accurately recount the events that transpired, showing the at-fault party and the seriousness of the impact.

If you’ve been involved in a car crash, there are several sources you can check for video footage.

  • Red-Light Cameras

While red-light camera evidence can raise legal issues, it can also be valuable in an intersection collision. In California, it is common for local governments to use cameras at intersections to enforce traffic violations such as running a red light. California law allows photographic evidence obtained from red-light cameras to be held for six months from the date it was captured or until the final disposition of a citation, whichever is later. After that, it is destroyed. Therefore, if you were the victim of a car accident at an intersection, you may have a limited time to recover any footage.

  • Business Surveillance

Many businesses in California have a commercial-grade security system, referred to as CCTV. It monitors and safeguards the business premise to keep unauthorized individuals out. If the car accident happened outside a gas station, large chain store, or other business, it’s best to verify if that particular business had a surveillance system. The footage obtained can identify the other party involved by showing a license plate number. This visual component can be beneficial in hit-and-run accidents. Having this information can help you recover damages from the driver responsible.

  • Dashcams

Dash cams are increasing in popularity as they become more affordable. A dashcam records what happens outside of the car. Depending on the type of dash cam, some can even detect a driver’s speed and whether they were wearing a seat belt.

If you have a dashcam inside your vehicle, it could show how the crash happened. Under California law, the data a dashcam stores are the property of the driver. So, if a witness to the accident had a dashcam, they could share it with you.

  • Cellphone Video

Today, most people turn to record incidents they witness. If you were involved in a car accident, finding a witness who recorded the incident could be helpful to your personal injury case.

After a car accident, obtaining video footage of your accident could help your case. However, it requires an investigation to determine what types of video may be available. Our experienced attorneys can help, especially in circumstances where a business may not willing to turn over video without a court subpoena.