It can be frustrating to get into a car accident only to find out insurance isn’t covering your damages. You may have thousands of dollars in medical bills. You probably had to pay money to get your car fixed. You may need to hire an experienced Atlanta car accident lawyer. They can help track down the evidence it takes to prove your case.
Your Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer Will Look for All Recordings
In this digital age, you’d be surprised at how many cameras are out there. Some people believe that cameras are capturing our every move. This can be good and bad. It’s bad because it seems like that would be a major invasion of our privacy. At the same time, it can be just what your Atlanta car accident lawyer needs to win your case. Your attorney will search for any type of recording. Some of the more common sources for a recording include:
- Cell phone recordings (driver, witness, passenger, etc.)
- Intersection cameras
- Dashcams
- Commercial property recording devices
- Private, residential cameras
If any of these videos caught your crash, your attorney can request a copy to use in court. If the owner refuses to turn it over, your attorney can subpoena the information and use it as leverage to settle your case.
The Recording Will Have to Be Authenticated
If your Atlanta car accident lawyer intends to submit a copy of the video into evidence, the tape will have to be authenticated. The defendant’s lawyer is going to argue that the video isn’t genuine. Your attorney will get the recording authenticated and submit proof of that to the court. This way, you can show that it wasn’t tampered with and that it is an accurate recording of what happened the day of the accident.
It May Depend on Who Recorded the Video
Of course, if you’re the one who recorded the video, the defendant will claim it’s biased. They’ll argue that you did something to change the video. For example, if the video cuts off right before the crash, they’ll say you deleted parts of the video so you wouldn’t be held at fault. They’ll also claim that you doctored up the video to show them speeding.
Despite the fact that you and your Atlanta car accident lawyer know none of this is true, you need to be prepared for it. If the defendant convinces the court that the video is biased, it will be excluded. This means you’ll have to find some other way to prove your case.
What Kind of Proof Does a Video Offer?
The great thing about a video recording is that it is objective. It doesn’t matter who recorded the video. Unless the video is edited or manipulated somehow, it will show the court exactly what happened. Your Atlanta car accident lawyer is going to look for any videos they can find. This could be from your own dashcam, or it could come from another vehicle.
There are even intersection cameras in Atlanta that may catch the crash on tape. This may offer your lawyer evidence that they wouldn’t otherwise have. The video may show some or all of the following:
- If one of the drivers ran a red light or stop sign
- If the other driver was texting or using their cell phone at the time of the crash
- If one of the vehicles hit the other from behind
- The identity of a vehicle that fled the scene
Ideally, this information will help your attorney prove your case.
Call and Speak with an Experienced Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer Right Away
The reason you hire an experienced Atlanta car accident lawyer is to get money from the other driver. You don’t care whether it comes from the driver or their insurance company. You just want compensation for your injuries. In order to do this, your attorney will have to prove that you suffered a loss. This can include damages for any of the following:
- Medical bills
- Future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost future income
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
In order to prove damages, your attorney will need a copy of your medical records. They’ll also need copies of any bills, explanation of benefit forms, and other correspondence regarding the accident. In order to give them as much time as possible to prepare your case, call and schedule your free consultation as soon as possible after the crash. It costs you nothing, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
