Why Taking Pictures for Evidence After Your Virginia Car Accident is Important?

1. Personal Injury Law Firm: 540-345-2000 Request a FREE Consultation Why Taking Pictures for Evidence After Your Virginia Car Accident is Important? No one wants to think they’ll ever be involved in a motor vehicle collision, but sadly, it can and does happen every day. The key is to be prepared. And that starts with knowing the importance of your smartphone and how you can use it to your advantage – mainly as it pertains to taking photographs of damage. Your VA car accident lawyer can use those photos to piece together evidence and establish liability. Immediately after a collision, use your phone to: • Call 911 if a medical emergency arises • Report the accident to law enforcement • Notify your insurance company of the accident • Call an auto injury attorney in southwest Virginia • Take notes about the circumstances such as weather, eyewitness contact info, etc. • Take photographs at the scene. If you are injured, have someone else take photos for you. Photographs are the best way to preserve evidence of the crash while supporting your claim because they don’t lie. They will prove to be very helpful in the weeks and months coming up as you and your Roanoke auto accident attorney fight for the compensation you deserve. Photos of the accident scene, the damage to the cars, and any injuries you sustain will provide much stronger evidence than just an eye witness account or verbal testimony on its own. Photographs can: • Show the facts without showing bias

2. • Preserve details you or other witnesses may forget with time • Reconstruct the events leading up to the collision • Show surrounding factors, such as security cameras and traffic signs • Establish fault •Show the severity of damages and injuries Tips for Taking Collision Scene Photos 1. Take Pictures Immediately: If safe to do so, start taking pictures of the vehicles and the surrounding scene right after the accident—prior to moving the cars off the road. This is because the vehicles’ positions, as well as the severity of the damage, will show how the collision happened. 2. Photograph all damage: Get two types of photos: distance and close-up shots. Take pictures of all damage to the vehicles as well as to objects such as guardrails and street signs. Pay close attention to any paint left on your car by the other car, and vice versa. The location of the paint will determine the point of impact. Be on the lookout for broken glass or car parts that may

3. have broken off as a result of the accident. 3. Take wide angled shot Take photos with all vehicles in them to mark their positions within the larger scene while pinpointing their relationships to vital elements. Take photos that capture other integral aspects of the scene, such as weather, signs, traffic signals, security cameras, or obstructions that could have blocked a driver’s view. 4. Document your injuries: Take pictures of your injuries, not just immediately after the collision, but in the days and weeks that follow as well. Sometimes bruises and other damage are not visible immediately after the collision, plus you want to document the healing process. The Importance of Collision Photos Always remember that insurance companies will try to pay you as little as they possibly can. Any time you can bolster your case with photographic evidence, you’re much better off. Insurance adjustors will do anything they can to dispute your allegations, reduce your payout and challenge your medical evaluations. They will attempt to craft their own narrative about what really happened, or may even suggest your damages were not caused by the collision. Photographs can put an end to these dodgy maneuvers. Take as many photos as you can, within reasonable limits, and use safety precautions. Don’t put yourself or others in harm’s way for the sake of a picture, and always obey instructions from emergency responders and police officer. Photographs are important, yes, but your safety is even more so. Contact Altizer Law Call a car accident lawyer in southwest Virginia you can trust after a collision. Our attorneys can help you use photographic evidence to bolster your case. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation at 540-345-2000.