Illinois residents who have dash cams mounted in their cars may be able to use their footage to help prove liability in car accidents. If the cameras capture what happened just before and during the collision, the evidence may help to strengthen the claim. In addition to dash cam footage, photographs of the scene and the vehicles involved can help present a complete picture of what occurred. A car accident lawyer may use the evidence to present a compelling case to the insurance company that might encourage it to extend a reasonable offer.
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How Dash Cams Work
Dash cams are video cameras that record footage from the time people start their cars until they turn them off. The footage is recorded in a loop on an SD card, and it shows what the driver sees. Some cameras record with audio while others do not. Since dash cams only record video in one direction, they might fail to catch all collisions that happen. However, they may show such things as the force of collisions and what happened immediately before them when the collisions occur in the direction in which the cameras are pointing.
Using Dash Cam Footage After an Accident
In some accidents, liability will be disputed by insurance companies. In others, the insurance companies may question the victims’ extent of injuries when the property damage is relatively minor. Having dash cam footage can show evidence of the liability of the other driver. By also showing the forcefulness of the impact, victims may be able to explain why the collisions caused their injuries. The insurance companies will likely also rely on other types of evidence, including witness statements, photographs, accident reconstruction and police reports. Adding dash cam footage to the other types of evidence can help to bolster the claims.
Dash cams may offer a good tool for drivers if they are involved in accidents. When liability is at issue, the footage may help to show what happened so that fault can be determined. A car accident lawyer may gather as much evidence as possible to prove claims.
