Dashboard cameras are commonly known as dashcams. These devices are legal in South Carolina, provided they are mounted on the dash – not the windshield – and do not obstruct the driver’s view of the road. If you have been involved in a car accident that was someone else’s fault, a dashcam can provide valuable evidence to support your claim for compensation.
How Can Dashcam Footage Help Your Case?
A dashcam can record the events leading up to a crash and provide valuable information about what caused it and who is liable. Having dashcam footage available to show exactly what occurred. The footage can significantly speed up the investigation regarding liability conducted by the insurance company. If your case goes to court, dashcam footage is admissible as evidence.
How Can You Obtain Dashcam Footage?
If you have a dashcam mounted in your vehicle, you should have footage of how the accident occurred, which your attorney can use immediately to build a strong case and negotiate with the insurance company for a fair settlement. If you did not have a dashcam, but the other driver did, your attorney can subpoena the footage. Once the subpoena is served, it is illegal for the other driver to destroy the footage or withhold it. You may also be able to obtain dashcam footage from other drivers who may have witnessed the crash.
How Can You Use Dashcam Footage in Court?
Proving who was at fault for a car accident is easier when dashcam footage is available. Juries can review the evidence to make this critical decision. It is common to hear conflicting stories about how a crash actually occurred. Dashcams can provide key evidence to prove that a person was actually at fault.
Having dashcam footage available allows you to create a clear timeline of events based on the footage. Your attorney may want to use expert witnesses to explain technical aspects of the footage. A visual recording of the accident can also help prepare you to testify as to how the crash occurred.
What Are the Potential Challenges and Limitations of Dashcam Footage?
The main disadvantage of having a dashcam mounted in your vehicle is that the footage can be used against you, as well as another driver. Even if the other driver was clearly at fault for the crash, under South Carolina’s comparative negligence laws, your award might be reduced by a percentage if the footage shows that you were partly at fault for the accident in any way. Limitations of dashcam footage in car accident cases may include problems with the quality or clarity of the footage, issues with the chain of custody, or objections from opposing counsel.
How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?
If you have been injured in a crash caused by another driver, our experienced Charleston personal injury lawyer can use dashcam footage to help you pursue full compensation for your injuries. If the dashcam was mounted in the other driver’s vehicle, we could subpoena the footage to help support your claim. We can assess the full extent of your damages, present the evidence to the insurance company, and negotiate skillfully on your behalf. If necessary, we can present the evidence to a jury and fight for the compensation you deserve in court.
Our founding attorney, Julian Allen, is a former defense attorney who applies that perspective to helping injured people today. He is a skilled negotiator and seasoned trial lawyer who has been awarded membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Contact Allen Law at (843) 882-5005 to schedule a free consultation.