Being in a motor vehicle accident can be an incredibly stressful experience. Injuries sustained from an accident can have significant long-term effects, and damages to your car can also wrack up significant expenses, on top of any medical costs.
The last thing you probably want to worry about after an accident is documenting everything that happened, but it’s an essential step when pursuing insurance claims or legal action against the at-fault driver.
Tips for taking accident photos
You might think taking pictures of your damaged car and your injuries is enough, but there are other important factors to consider when documenting an accident. Here are tips:
- General photos of the entire scene – Take pictures to document the overall accident scene. If you can, take them from as many angles as possible to give a full view of what happened.
- Photos of all vehicles involved in the crash – It is essential to take photos of your car, but you should also get photos of any other vehicles involved in the accident. Documenting the position of the other cars in the accident in relation to yours can also help keep track of what occurred.
- Photos of all traffic signs and lights – Any traffic signs on the road in the area should be photographed. This includes traffic lights, stop or yield signs, mileage signs, and construction signs. The more detailed information you have of the accident area, the clearer your story is.
- Conditions of the road and weather – Accidents can occur due to weather or faults in the road. If there was a pothole on the street or and ice patch that caused your collision, take photos of these factors as well.
- Photos of debris or damaged objects – Document any pieces of your vehicle that may have fallen into the road. Also, take photos of any objects that sustained damages such as a street sign, a fence, or trees.
- Photos of witnesses and others involved – Keeping track of people involved in an accident can be difficult, so you may want to kindly ask if you can take a photo of the other drivers, passengers, or witnesses who stop to help. Only take photos if they give you consent.
- Damages and injuries – Of course, you will need to take photos of your injuries and the damages your car sustained in the accident.
Photographing an accident offers proof and backs up your story as memory isn’t always reliable. With proper photos of the incident, you can show an attorney and an insurance company the drastic result of the accident to ensure you receive the best compensation afterward.
