What Is My Case Worth Without Photo Evidence In A Car Accident?

One of the first things that you should do after an accident is to document the details of the incident. This can be extremely useful at a later stage when you file for compensation in court. The most common way to document proof of any accident is by taking pictures. These pictures can be very helpful in proving who was at fault, and the extent of damage and injuries, which in turn will help determine the compensation. However, in some cases, people may just forget to take pictures of the accident scene. Let us take a look at how pictures can be useful in a personal injury case and whether not having any pictures will bring down the case.

Secure Yourself With Photos After An Accident

It is hard to overestimate how important the photos of car accidents are. Not only you protect yourself from undesired consequences, but also provide your personal car accident attorney with vital evidence of the case which will be of a big help while investigating. This is an important action you should undertake if the accident happened to you and you are able to document it.

Why Are Photographs Useful In An Accident Case?

• Photographs can help your personal injury lawyer investigate the accident.
• They help doctors determine what could have happened at the moment when the accident took place.
• They help to document other sources of evidence like environmental factors, distractions on the road, etc
• Help overcome any “memory fog” that may occur as a result of the accident.
• Making a case in court for good compensation.

What Pictures Should You Take?

There are several pictures you can take to record evidence:

• Pictures of injuries.
• Damage caused to vehicles.
• Pictures of witnesses in the area.
• Any debris that is caused by the accident.
• Damage to any buildings nearby.
• Skid marks or tire marks.
• Pictures of the surroundings to document weather conditions and other environmental factors.
• Any traffic or security cameras in the area. Footage from these cameras can later be accessed for evidence.

What To Keep In Mind When Taking Pictures Of An Accident Scene

Pictures can be very important in proving your side of the story in an accident case. The clearer and more detailed your pictures are, the better. Here are some things to keep in mind when taking pictures of an accident scene:

• Take as many pictures as you can. The more the better.
• Ensure that you record the date and time in each photo.
• Take close-ups as well as wide-angle photos so that the damage is seen in detail.
• Take pictures from different angles.
• Use flash if necessary for close up photos.
• Photograph both the interior and exterior of your car.
• If possible, get pictures of the opposite party’s injuries as well.
• Keep backups of your pictures.
• Take pictures of the first responders.
• Take pictures of damage caused to the other person’s car.

What Happens If I Don’t Have Pictures Of The Accident?

Photographs are important in any accident case and will help to prove a point in court. However, they are not the be-all and end-all of the cases. You will still have a case even if you don’t have photographs to show in court. Not having photographs will not change your rights to justice in any way. A good personal injury attorney will still do everything he can to ensure you get the right amount of compensation. He/she will find other ways to get information that can prove your claims in court. There could be eyewitnesses that the lawyers will talk to and get information about the accident. There could have been the traffic or security cameras in the area that can be accessed to get images or videos of the accident.

Will My Case Be Worth Reducing If I Don’t Have Photographs?

While taking photographs after an accident is extremely important to prove your case, if you don’t have any photographs, you should contact a personal injury lawyer. It is very common for people to not have photographs of the accident scene. People could have gotten injured badly in the accident as a result of which they cannot take pictures. In some other cases, people may simply forget to click pictures because of the shock of the accident. The lawyer will set out to collect other evidence, even if there is no photographic evidence of the accident.

The lawyer will try to access police reports, medical records, out of pocket expense receipts, documentation of the accident scenes, and relevant witness testimony. Skilled attorneys like Babcock Injury Lawyers Baton Rouge, will revisit the accident spot and try to reconstruct the entire accident. The lawyers will also try to take as many pictures as possible of the area where the accident occurred. All of this proof and information will help them build a sequence of events that can help to determine potential liability.

Photographs alone don’t determine the case worth in any accident case. While they will help strengthen your claims as they provide visual proof of your claims, they do not alone determine how much you will be paid in terms of compensation. There are a whole lot of other factors that are also considered while determining the amount that you should receive in compensation, like witness testimony, doctors' accounts of the injuries, the opposite parties story, medical and damage repair bills, if any, and so on. It will also depend on how skilled your personal injury attorney is and how well he/she can convince the judge that you deserve good compensation.

While your case worth may not be affected directly if you don’t have pictures of the accident, it can help immensely to determine the compensation if you have pictures that can prove the extent of damage caused. However, any good personal injury lawyer will ensure you get the right amount of compensation with or without photographs.

A skilled lawyer will use all the other information available, including witness accounts to prove that the other party was at fault during the accident. He/she will send their own investigative team at the site of the accident as soon as possible to take fresh pictures and document any signs of road rage on the spot. They will try to reconstruct the accident scene based on all the evidence that is available and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve even without photos.