Smartphones have given us the opportunity to document everything – from taking pictures of our kids’ first day of school to posting photos of a fancy meal to Instagram. We can Snapchat a funny facial expression or record a friend’s graduation commencement speech and post it to YouTube. Your Smartphone can also be a valuable tool to use if you are ever involved in a car crash.
Here are three essential reasons you should take photos after a car accident:
1. Document the Car Accident
Having photographic evidence of the accident itself can help bolster your personal injury claim. It is helpful not only for a jury to see the circumstances surrounding the auto accident, but it is also helpful for investigators and accident reconstructionists to have a clear picture of your vehicle’s position and damage to the vehicle.
Before you move your vehicle, photograph your car’s position in relation to the other vehicle, in relation to the intersection, and in relation to the traffic lanes. Take pictures of the damage to your vehicle. As car accident attorneys in Milwaukee, we have seen the benefits of having photos of the accident scene to help the jury understand the accident. If the damage is severe, it can help a jury to visualize the relationship between the vehicle damage and your injuries. Photograph any debris or skid marks left after the collision. If there are witnesses, photograph where the witnesses were and take pictures of the accident scene from the witnesses’ perspective. Here are six costly mistakes you should avoid after a car accident.
If you were injured by some other means – such as slipping or tripping and falling or by a faulty product, it is helpful to take pictures of what caused you to fall or of the broken or malfunctioning equipment. If, for example, there was a crack in pavement, it is helpful to place a ruler or some other object for scale to show how much of a deviation there was in the pavement. Take photos from several different angles of the exact place that caused you to fall so that jurors can get a clear picture of the conditions. Our advice as personal injury attorneys is that it is important to take these photos as soon as possible, before the defect has been repaired. It can also be helpful to return to the scene at a later date to photograph either the lack of repair or what repairs were done.
2. Document the Injuries
The old phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds a lot of water with respect to documenting your injuries. Being able to show the jury bruising or lacerations can help them to visualize how badly you were injured. Additionally, showing medical treatment, like casts, oxygen or fluids, monitoring devices, or assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches, can help the jury to see the work that went into healing your injuries. Take photographs of your injuries not just at the beginning, but also to monitor the progress of healing. Some injuries take a long time to heal, and there are several steps involved in your treatment. It is helpful to show the progression so that jurors can better understand how long you were treating and how long you had to endure the effects of the accident. Our experience as personal injury lawyers in Milwaukee has shown the big difference photos can make in a trial.
3. Document the Weather Conditions
Weather conditions can sometimes play a big role in your car accident. In Wisconsin, ice is often a major factor. Standing water can also play a role in auto collisions or in slip-and-fall accidents. Another factor could be lighting conditions. At certain times of the day, the location of the sun or the absence of it can affect the ability of a driver to see. If the sun was in a driver’s eyes, for example, take a picture from that driver’s perspective so jurors can see how hard it would have been to see at the time of the accident. If the roads were not plowed, photograph the snow or ice accumulation to show the slippery conditions. If standing water made a slick surface, take a picture to show that as well. Even dry, well-lit conditions are helpful to show that the other person should have been on better lookout or to show that even in broad daylight a person could trip on the crumbled pavement in question.
When documenting the conditions surrounding your accident, it does not hurt to take more pictures than you think you might need, so long as they are taken from different angles and to show different things. It is not as helpful to take a hundred close-ups of a dent from the same angle as it is to take a variety of pictures to show different aspects of the accident. With the advent of digital technology, it is easy to look at the photos electronically without spending a ton of money on film or printing costs. Your Milwaukee personal injury attorney can help select which photos best show the circumstances of your accident and which photos will be most helpful to the jury.
At Murphy & Prachthauser we are car accident lawyers in Milwaukee and personal injury attorneys in Milwaukee who practice the law the way it should be practiced – motivated and equipped to do our best for you. We take pride in being good lawyers who help people.
If you have a case you would like to speak to a personal injury lawyer about, please contact us to schedule a free consultation and get an experienced Milwaukee auto accident attorneys and Milwaukee personal injury lawyers working on your behalf.