Years ago, if you got into an accident on the highway, you had no way to prove what happened. Today, not only do people have cell phones, but a lot of drivers also have dashcams as well. A lot of the new cars have dashcam videos. They’re typically sold as an add-on. If you do a lot of driving, it’s a good idea to get one. You never know when it may come in handy. If you don’t have a dashcam, that’s okay. Your Georgia car accident lawyer will find other evidence to justify your claim.
Let Your Georgia Car Accident Lawyer Review the Tape Right Away
If you think the dashcam video helps your case, make sure you provide a copy to your Georgia car accident lawyer. They can review it prior to meeting with you for the first time. This way, if they have any questions or concerns, they can ask you during your free consultation. They’ll gauge how useful the tape is and give you an idea of whether it helps or hurts your lawsuit.
Does the Video Help or Hurt Your Case?
Ideally, if the accident was caught on your dashcam video, it shows the other driver was at fault. If it shows that you did something wrong, it certainly won’t help your case. Just keep in mind, once your attorney sees it, they’ll have to disclose its contents. You don’t want the insurance company using your own video against you.
You’ll Still Need More Evidence to Prove Your Case
Even if the crash was caught on your dashcam video, your Georgia car accident lawyer will still need more proof. It’s doubtful that your video will capture the entire event. If not, you’re going to have to submit other proof to show that the other driver was at fault. Your attorney is going to have to prove that the defendant was negligent. In order to do that, they have to show the following:
- The other driver owed you a duty of care – This shouldn’t be all that difficult. All drivers owe other motorists a certain duty of care. At a minimum, they need to follow the traffic laws. If they don’t do this, they’ll be in breach of their duty.
- They breached this duty – This will be the hardest thing for your Georgia car accident lawyer to do. They’ll have to submit specific evidence showing that they did something unreasonable. For example, if they were arrested for drunk driving at the accident scene, that’ll serve as proof that they violated the DUI statute.
- You were injured – You’re going to have to show that you were hurt. This can include a physical injury, damage to your vehicle or loss of income. Your Georgia car accident lawyer will gather this evidence and present it to the insurance company when they try to settle your claim.
- Your injuries were caused by the crash – It shouldn’t be hard to prove this element. Unless something happened between the time of the crash and the time you arrive at the E.R., it’ll be hard for the defendant to make this argument.
Call and Talk to an Experienced Georgia Car Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, the only proof of fault may be your dashcam video. If the driver was coming toward you or approached from the side, it may have been caught on your dashcam. However, there’s also a good chance that it wasn’t caught on tape. It’s a good idea to bring the tape with you to your consultation with one of our Georgia car accident lawyers. Let them review the tape from the outset. This way, they can let you know if they think you have a valid claim. Of course, there is likely other evidence that supports your claim. For example, the police report may give details as to how they think the crash occurred. Or the damage to the cars may tell the tale. Your attorney will review all of this and let you know if they’re willing to handle your case.
The best thing for you to do now is to call our office and set up a date and time to come in. You can take advantage of a free, initial consultation with one of our experienced Georgia car accident lawyers. If you aren’t comfortable coming into the office given the COVID-19 pandemic, that’s not a problem. We’ll arrange to conduct the consultation by phone or skype.