Should You Use a Dashboard Cam as Evidence in Your Case?
Proving fault in a car accident is sometimes difficult without clear evidence of the events surrounding the accident. A dashboard camera, or “dashboard cam,” can capture an accident and provide much needed evidence in a personal injury case.
Car accident lawyers Sean M. Burke and Jason N. Argos consult with clients on whether dashboard cam videos should be used in their lawsuit. It’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using dashboard cams as evidence in personal injury cases in Irvine, CA, and surrounding areas. To find out if dashboard cam evidence can help your personal injury claim, we welcome you to schedule a consultation.
Can Dashboard Cam Footage Be Considered Evidence?
Footage from a dashboard cam may be used as evidence in a personal injury case if the dashboard cam was used in accordance with state law. For example, in the state of California, all parties being recorded with audio need to provide consent. If the dashboard camera records audio inside the car, parties within the car need to consent to being recorded. Without consent, the video may not be admissible as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit.
Generally speaking, if dashboard camera footage was obtained following state laws, it can be used as evidence in court. Perhaps the greatest advantage of dashboard cams is that they can provide valuable information about how an accident occurred and whether one party was mostly or completely at fault.
Dashboard Cams Footage May Be Used Against You
It’s important to understand that the footage of dashboard cams can help support claims against a defendant but it may also be used against a plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit. This is perhaps one of the biggest disadvantages of using dashboard cam footage as evidence in a lawsuit. Everything that the camera captured will be admitted, which means it can be used against you if you are at all at fault.
It should also be noted that dashboard cam footage cannot be edited when used as evidence. This prevents evidence from painting an inaccurate picture of the events but may also mean fault may be found in both parties.
Review Dashboard Cam Footage with an Attorney
If you have a dashboard camera in Irvine, it’s important not to share this information with insurance companies, police, or anyone else before consulting with an attorney. A personal injury attorney can review your dashcam footage to help determine if it would provide strong evidence for a personal injury case.
If dashboard cam footage is suitable as evidence, it can help support claims in a personal injury lawsuit. Through a personal injury lawsuit it may be possible to recover a larger settlement than insurance may offer while also minimizing your liability.
Schedule a Consultation with Burke Argos Trial Attorneys
If you’ve been involved in a car accident and need an attorney to review your dashboard cam footage for use as evidence in a personal injury case, call Irvine attorneys Sean Burke and Jason Argos at (949) 644-3434 to schedule a consultation.
