Reconstructing accidents is an essential step in filing insurance claims. Investigations used to rely only on witness accounts, damage estimates, and the memories of those concerned. Dash cameras, on the other hand, have brought a significant new dimension to the picture by objectively filming collisions and the incidents that preceded them.
This evidence helps settle disputes regarding fault and paints a more complete picture of what happened. As the use of Dash Cams grows, so does the role of video review in determining liability. This article explains their use by insurers and lawyers reviewing videos to determine liability.
Why Use Dash Cam Videos?
Videos provide objective evidence of accident details like who was at fault and how the incident occurred. Helpful for insurance claims. Provides an unbiased third-party perspective of accidents to assess fault and liability.
Capturing Accident Scene Details
Dash cam placements let insurers see traffic lights, signs, lane positions, and vehicle speeds involved. Clarifies unclear accident descriptions. Video records details like road/weather conditions, vehicle positions, speeds, and traffic that statements alone may miss or misrepresent.
Revealing Information Statements Miss
Videos catch full events where witness statements lack precision due to memory lapses or biased perspectives. Clarifies conflicting versions. Dash cam footage can show important details like impact points that contradict driver statements given in descriptions alone.
Analyzing Accident Reconstruction
Insurers use videos to estimate details like impact speeds to determine liability percentages. Helpful for lawsuits over serious injuries. Experts can review footage to precisely determine factors like speed, failure to control vehicles and use for insurance investigations.
 Identifying Unreported Claims
Videos detect unreported accidents to insurance by showing other vehicles involved. Prevents fraudulent claims. Videos can uncover unreported injuries/damages not mentioned in initial statements for purposes of insurance fraud.
Exonerating Faultless Drivers
Videos prove drivers are not at fault when other parties claim responsibility. Protects from paying higher premiums due to not-at-fault claims. For hit and runs or when falsely accused, the footage provides impartial evidence to clear faultless motorists’ names.
Time Stamped Evidence is Legal
Timestamped videos authenticated by data files are admissible evidence in court. Carries more weight than witness testimony alone. Courts recognize dash cam videos as legal documentation due to time/date stamps verifying footage was not edited or altered.
Notifying Other Parties of Videos
Insurers inform other drivers, and their insurers, that videos exist to avoid surprises in negotiations or lawsuits. Allows proper response preparation. Drivers should inform all parties to accidents that relevant dashcam footage of the incident exists.
Obtaining Videos for Review
Insurers request videos from their client and other drivers directly or subpoena footage during serious injury claims investigations. Insurance companies may request viewing relevant accident footage during claims processes for fair claims handling.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Legal teams and insurance firms increasingly rely on dashcam footage for traffic incident investigations. These objective recordings provide a clear order of events, facilitating the claims procedure and ensuring just decisions. As technology advances, dash cameras will become increasingly important in reconstructing incidents. Their impartial viewpoint serves the interests of all parties involved, and reviewing accident films can significantly impact insurance claims for all involved in an on-road incident.