How to Obtain Traffic Camera Video of a Car Accident
In cases in which an at-fault driver denies that they ran a stop sign or red light, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will likely dispute your claim and refuse to pay damages to you. Your lawyer will check to see if any video might exist of the accident to prove the other motorist’s fault in causing your injuries.
Perhaps you noticed a traffic camera at the intersection where your accident occurred, and you’re wondering how to obtain traffic camera video of a car accident. Some intersections in Springfield have traffic cameras installed. However, these cameras are live-feed only, meaning that they do not record or store video. This means that even though your accident might have appeared on the traffic camera, there likely will not be any video recording you can obtain from the traffic camera. However, there might be other potential sources of video that you can find.
Nearby Businesses
Many businesses in Springfield have security cameras installed on their exteriors. These cameras normally point to areas in the business’s parking lot to provide an added degree of security. Following your collision, you should check nearby businesses to see if any of them have cameras installed. Some of the types of businesses that frequently have exterior cameras include gas stations, bars, pawnshops, and retail stores.
Residential Cameras
Another possible source of video footage is a nearby home. Many homeowners have exterior security cameras or Ring doorbell systems. Checking with the homeowners to see if they have these types of systems might help you to find video footage of your accident.
Dash Cams
Many motorists have dash cams installed in their vehicles. If you, the other motorist, or a witness has a dash camera, you might be able to retrieve the footage to determine who was at fault in your collision.
Preservation of Evidence
In many cases, video footage from business or home security cameras will not be retained for longer than a month. Some also record over old footage much faster. This makes it important that you act quickly following your crash. With the help of an attorney, you can send a preservation letter to anyone with a possible recording of your collision to have them retain the relevant footage.
Keep in mind that even if a video does not show your collision, it might still help your case by showing the other vehicle’s speed as the car approached the intersection or whether or not the driver applied his or her brakes. Your attorney can also ask the other driver to preserve his or her vehicle so your lawyer can access the electronic control module (ECM). Data from this device can be downloaded and show how fast the other driver was going and whether or not the brakes were applied just prior to the wreck.
Finally, even if a witness did not stop and remain at the scene to talk to you or the police, you might still be able to track some witnesses down. Your attorney can ask for the 911 call logs to see if anyone reported your accident. He or she can then contact the people who called to ask whether they saw what happened.
Talk to the Attorneys at the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave
If you were injured in a car wreck at an intersection, and the other driver is disputing that he or she ran a stop sign or red light, it might still be possible for you to recover compensation. Talk to the experienced car collision lawyers at the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave about your options by calling us at 417-322-2222 (Springfield) or 417-624-4258 (Joplin) or contacting us online.