Dash Cams Growing in Popularity in the United States

You are driving home from work on a busy afternoon. Your route requires you to pass through several intersections. Out of the blue, as you enter an intersection, another car slams into your passenger side. Fortunately, you are not seriously injured, and the other driver does not appear to be, either. However, you begin to argue as to who ran the red light. If there are no witnesses to the accident, how would you prove that you had the green light?

To help with situations like this one, our Atlanta car accident lawyer notes that many drivers have installed dash cams in their cars. A dash cam is a video camera that is installed on the dashboard of a car. Much like a police officer’s car camera, it records what the driver can see ahead of him. These cameras have been popular in other countries like Russia for quite some time, as they have been used to dispute fraudulent accident claims. However, many drivers in the United States have begun using them as well.

In a car accident injury case, numerous types of evidence can be considered to support or weaken a party’s claims. Medical records, accident reports, and witness statements are commonly used, as are photos and cell phone records. If the accident occurs in a busy area, surveillance footage from local businesses may be used. In fact, there is generally a wide variety of evidence that may be used in a single case.

Therefore, dash cam footage may be useful and it may be admissible in court as well.

As for situations in which dash cam footage is not useful, there are a few. For example, the dash cam may not pick up what actually happened in an accident. Remember, the dash cam is only recording what happens straight in front of the vehicle—not what is going on beside it or behind it. This eliminates footage of a great number of incidents that may occur.

Similarly, a judge may not allow dash cam footage to be entered into the court record if it records on private property or in restricted areas. If the accident occurs on a public road, though, it should be admissible.

You must always be careful as you drive when you have a dash cam (although, of course, you should always be careful). What if you are not paying attention and you almost rear end the vehicle in front of you? If you are involved in an accident a few minutes later, it may be argued that you were at fault because it already appeared as though you were not paying attention while you were driving.

Therefore, like most types of evidence in court, the answer as to whether it will be useful and admissible depends on the facts and circumstances of the accident. The individual facts of the case, the parties’ claims, and the judge will all have a significant impact as to whether the footage may help a claimant in a case.

Put Our Law Firm’s Over 39 Years Of Legal Experience To Work For Your Case!

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident caused by someone else’s negligence, contact Montlick & Associates today for your free consultation with an experienced Personal Injury Lawyers in Georgia. Montlick & Associates has been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over 39 years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.

Sources:

http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21662646-dash-cams-small-video-cameras-film-road-ahead-are-being-used-motorists

https://www.ok.gov/dps/documents/dashcam_video_request.pdf