Should I Take Photos After A Car Accident?
No one ever wants to think about being involved in a car accident, much less be asked to read through a laundry list of dos and don’t should the unthinkable ever occur. However, arming yourself with the knowledge of the aftermath could help you exponentially if you or your vehicle are injured in an accident.
It’s common knowledge that you should immediately check yourself and other involved parties for injuries after being involved in a collision. However, aftermath knowledge seems to get a little muddy after this step occurs. Should you rush to the hospital, even if you don’t have any visible injuries? Should you call 911? Do you really need to gather evidence while on the site with your wrecked vehicle?
Obviously the answer to each of these questions depends on your specific situation. However, in most cases, you should immediately report the accident to the police if you’re able. Then, while you’re waiting for them to arrive, you should take several photos to document the accident. Finally, after the police report has been filed, you should swing by the emergency room to ensure that you are not suffering from any unseen injuries.
Most of these steps may seem fairly self-explanatory, but the thought of taking photos of the aftermath seems to stump a lot of people. Why should you take photos if there’s going to be a police report? What kind of photos should you take? What purpose do these photos serve?
Why Should You Take Photos?
Photos from the scene of the accident can easily prove fault, other contributing factors and immediate damages. As the common saying goes—a photo is worth a thousand words, and a photo of the accident could help you exponentially in your negotiations with insurance agents. A quickly snapped photo could truly be the key for success in your insurance claim.
How Should You Take the Photos?
These photos will likely never win photography awards or be posted on Instagram for #ThrowbackThursday. In these situations, quantity is truly better than quality. If you’re questioning whether or not to take a photo from a certain angle, go ahead and snap the photo. Your insurance agent will never revoke your claim because you had too many photos. When taking photos of the accident, try and get the following:
- Any damages to your vehicle
- Other vehicles involved in the collision
- Skid marks or other fault-proving signs
- Any injuries to yourself or others
- Site of the accident
- Additional conditions surrounding the accident such as weather, debris, animals, etc
If you are too injured to take these photos yourself, try and have a friend, family member or other witness grab some photos on your behalf. If the car accident occurred while you were alone, you can still document injuries sustained to you or your vehicle after your medical needs are treated. Car accident claims can become very complicated, even with photographic evidence. If you don’t want to deal with the insurance agents alone, consider speaking with a car accident attorney, like an attorney at Patterson Bray . They will be able to help you receive maximum compensation after your accident.