Protecting Your Rights After An Accident With Camera Tech

It's like cameras are everywhere these days, but in the event of an accident, are you sure that the cameras are looking at you? There's a good chance that a nearby business, government building, or even traffic light may have view of the accident, or that someone who happens to have a phone out may have recorded the event, but how can you be sure? Take the guesswork out of the matter by having a few recording options on your side.

Dash Cams Are The Cheapest And Easiest Option

Dash cameras--also known as dash cams--are an easy way to capture video of your surroundings as you drive. In countries such as Russia, dash cams are nearly required due to the insurance incentives spurred by high amounts of fraud or accidents with shady circumstances. Even if there weren't insurance pressures pushing camera use, it's just a good idea in countries where running in front of a slow car to pull an insurance scam is a common problem. 

The United States may not be as bad when it comes to scams--although it's dangerously close to no longer being "rare"--but in the land of litigation, a legal battle is almost guaranteed. Dash cams can help you fight your legal opponent's argument if there isn't much in the way of physical proof.

When honest accidents turned into lie-infused blame games, circumstance is often the victor. If you're on a highway and a car in front of you accidentally reverses, who is at fault? The reversing car should be, but if there are no recordings or witnesses willing to report, a rear end usually looks like the rear car's problem. 

A dash cam can capture exactly what happened. The most basic setup would be to install a dash cam on the ceiling of your car, pointing forward and capturing as much of the windshield view as possible. A second camera should be added and pointed to the rear window, and two side-pointing cameras are optional installations.

Using A Smartphone For Recording

Smartphones will almost always be reactionary. Unless you're using a smartphone as your dashboard--an inefficient, but doable option--you'll need to explain why you were using your phone during an accident in the first place. Unless you're the passenger, it's not an easy argument to win.

The more important use of a smartphone would be to record the aftermath, or to capture a flight risk. A flight risk is a person who is likely to run away and hide from prosecution, usually after a hit and run incident.

Being involved in an accident is often a shock, and you'll be lucky if you can reach for your phone in time to capture a picture of the other person's license plate. Thankfully, unless the damage was done on purpose, the other person may also be in shock.

If you can remember these tips, they can save your argument and protect your best interests:

• Stay in the car unless your life is in danger inside.
• Take pictures of the other person's license plate first.
• Send the license plate picture to a friend, lawyer, and others who can receive and save the information in case of phone destruction or theft.

These points will keep your information in good hands in case the other party speeds off, or decides that they want to destroy your phone. Be sure to speak to a lawyer as you plan proper smartphone use after an accident, just to have their number and/or email address in your phone for quick sending.

Visit a site like http://www.cookevilleinjurylaw.net/ for more help.