One of the hardest things to do after a car crash is preserving the accident scene right after the collision. If you were involved in one, then police officers, witnesses, and medics will all probably be treading the scene, which can easily destroy vital evidence and create inaccurate details for investigators. This is why the scene should be photographed immediately after the accident. While this job may sound easy— you will just pull out your phone and start photographing — there are a few things that you should keep in mind that you have to provide reliable, high-quality photographs that can be useful later in accident reports. These following 7 tips will help you document photographic evidence for any car accident.

1. Start with an Overview of the Scene

Before you take detailed pictures of the damage and/ or any other details related to the accident, you will have to take a few steps back so you can get a full view of the two vehicles and start shooting pictures from different angles. The legal professionals emphasized in https://seerden-law.com/ how important this is in personal injury claims. These photographs can be important for the outcome of these claims, so make sure that they provide an overview of the scene, road, neighboring vehicles if there are any, and the road on which the accident took place. You must also take pictures of debris that landed away from the scene of the accident.

2. Document the Tiniest Details

After you are finished with the overview shots, start photographing the small details, like footprints, detailed pictures of internal and external damage to the vehicles. High-quality close-ups will be extremely helpful in the investigation and might show details that might be obscured later. Don’t forget to take pictures of both the vehicle license plates and detailed pictures of any damage inflicted on any object on the road. Make sure that you have multiple shots of anything you find relevant to the accident.

3. Take Photographs of Traffic Signals

Of course, a photograph will not show whether the color of the traffic light was red or green at the time, but the location of the traffic lights in relation to the collision and also road signs can be important for investigators and the process of reconstructing the accident. You must also take photos of skid marks, broken glass, and any other object that could have been affected by the accident.

4. Take Photos of Your Injuries

Let’s face it, treating car injuries is not cheap, and if you are one of the unfortunate people who were injured in the accident, you will probably have to pay a large sum of money to fully heal. This is why it is important to document lacerations, bruises that might imply internal injuries, gashes, and blood. Along with medical reports, pictures of injuries can help you a lot if you’re trying to get compensated. Be careful though not to document other people’s injuries without their permission, as this can lead to legal arguments.

5. Pay Heed to the Weather

If the weather is rainy or snowy, this could also be important in the investigation. The collision may have occurred because the road was particularly slippery, or a driver could’ve been blinded by the sun; this information is important for the reports that will follow. So, it is best if you take a couple of photos that show the state of the weather at the time of the accident. Sure, anyone can say it was raining or snowing on the day of the accident, but pictures will provide foolproof evidence.

6. Photograph Any Documents

As mentioned before, you should take pictures of car license plates, but you must also take pictures of any registrations, license plates of other cars that might be involved in the accident, and driver licenses of both drivers if possible. Police officers who arrive at the scene will do this, but you mustn’t leave any chance for errors.

7. Phone a Friend

Taking photos of the scene might be daunting if you were seriously injured. In that case, you should phone a friend or a family member to do this for you. You can also ask a witness, if there is any around, to take pictures of the accident and your injuries. This simple action can make a difference in an insurance claim and save you thousands of dollars’ worth of medical expenses.

Taking shots of an accident scene is not really a difficult task, but you must always remember to stay safe. Your physical health must always come first, so don’t push yourself into doing something that could endanger your well-being. If you don’t feel well enough, let emergency personnel take care of you and leave the job of collecting photographic evidence to your friend, a family member, or a witness.