Auto Accidents 101: 3 Tips For Photographing The Scene
"A picture is worth a thousand words." It's a popular saying and for good reason: pictures capture emotions, damages, and evidence. If you are in an auto accident, pictures play a key role in your case. Documenting damages, injuries, and road conditions are important—and they can make a difference between winning a losing your case.
If you aren't injured, begin taking photographs of the accident scene immediately after you obtain the other driver's information. If you don't know how to take photos, don't worry. These three tips will help you get the best photos possible:
1. Work With What You Have
While you might be inclined to go home and get your digital camera, you don't need to. Work with what you have. You can certainly use an expensive camera if you have one on you, but if you don't, a camera phone will get the job done. Just make sure you turn on the time and date function, as this will be important should your case go to court.
2. Focus On The Details
When photographing the accident, make sure you focus on the details. Try to take several photographs of the scene, so that you can capture every little detail. In general, make sure you capture the damages of both cars. However, you might also want to photograph skid marks, vehicle parts, weather, accident site, road debris, and any injuries that are easily visible.
3. Take Several Photos
You want to take several photos from all different distances. It might sound odd, but it will help to better convey the damages and why the accident was caused. Start with close up photos and then progressively get farther and farther away—at the farthest, make sure you can capture the entire scene.
You should also make sure you take photos from different angles. Straight, odd, and wide angles are all important. So take plenty of photos from all different heights and angles to get the best pictures. Don't delete any of them. Save them for when you meet with your auto accident attorney (like those at Reed Law Offices).
You might be feeling a little frazzled after an auto accident—it's normal. However, you need to gather your strength and begin to photograph the accident scene. It will be important for your insurance claim and legal case, should you ever need to go to court or hire an attorney. So be meticulous and use these tips to help you capture the best photos.
