Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Having the right evidence to back up your statements after being involved in a Florida car accident can make all the difference in your claim to recover financial compensation. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words,” has never been more true in these situations as you have hard proof to further back up exactly what happened. Insurance companies are in the business of making a profit, which means they are not in the business of just forking over money to every person who makes a claim. They will use various tactics to delay, deny, or underpay car accident claims unless they have hard proof, like photographic evidence, that supports your version of what happened.
After a car accident, your next steps are critical for the outcome of your personal injury claim. Our Florida Car Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton know first hand how vital photographic evidence can be to a personal injury claim, which is why we believe that taking pictures is the most important step after making sure that all injured parties are provided medical care. Photos are viewed as credible pieces of evidence, which means that insurance companies are much more likely to provide you with a proper payout if you have good photographic evidence to support your claim.
We believe that by taking pictures of these 3 things you are much more likely to have a winning claim on your hands:
- Damages to all of the vehicles involved in the accident
While you may think that the only necessary pictures you need are the ones that show the damage to your vehicle, this is simply not true. Take photos of the damage to your car, but also of the entire scene, which includes the other vehicles involved and what they look like after the collision. Get close-up pictures of damages and take photos from various angles. You cannot have enough photographic evidence, so snap away. It will be much harder for the insurance companies involved to argue about what happened if your photos paint a clear picture of what truly happened.
- Overall scene of the crash
The scene of the crash will tell the insurance company a lot about what happened. You can help your case by taking photos of the entire crash site, which includes all of the cars involved as well as the road conditions, street signs, etc. Taking photos of the overall scene where the accident or incident occurred can also help your personal injury claim. If you suffered an injury from a car accident, take photos of the location around the accident including the vehicles involved, the road, and surrounding street signs. You want to take pictures of anything that may help tell the story of what happened and how your injuries occurred. Helpful photographic evidence may include tire marks left on the road that indicate the at-fault driver was speeding, damaged or missing road signs, potholes, and dangerous debris on the roadway. The photos you take could be the evidence you need to have a winning case.
- Your injuries suffered in the crash
Like we mentioned previously, insurance companies want to minimize their payouts, so they tend to manipulate the crash in their favor so that they pay you less compensation than what you are truly owed. Having good photo evidence can give you the upper hand with the insurance company because while your injuries may fade over time, the pictures you have will show how severe your injuries were. Immediately following a car accident, take pictures of your visible injuries and continue to take pictures over the course of the following weeks so that the insurance company can fully grasp everything you have been going through. The pictures you take will support that you were injured in the car accident in question and not from anything else.
Tips for Taking Good Pictures
Without any photographic evidence, the insurance companies can make any claim they want in regards to your case. They may accuse you of lying about what happened or exaggerating certain events. When you have photos to back up your claims, the truth will present itself and you will have a greater chance of recovering full and fair compensation for your damages.
The following are some good tips to remember if you are involved in a Florida car crash:
- Take plenty of detailed pictures. No detail is too insignificant, so like we said before, snap away. It is actually best to take more pictures than you think you’ll need.
- View your pictures after taking them to make sure what you wanted to capture is visible.
- Take pictures with the flash on as well as off so that you can capture the best photo.
- Get pictures from different angles as well as distances.
Contact Us To Help with Your Florida Car Accident Claim
If you have suffered injuries in a Florida car crash, our Florida Car Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton want to help you understand what steps to take next. Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a completely free consultation.