How to Take Photos of Your Accident Property Damage So Your Tampa Car Accident Attorney Can Give You The Best Defense

After an auto accident, it is very important that photos be taken of the general accident scene and especially the property damage. These photos may be the only way that an auto accident reconstruction expert can prove who is at fault for the accident. This is very important for your automobile accident attorney in Tampa can provide you with the best defense possible in the event that the party who is at fault contests their liability.

Consider keeping a disposable camera in your car just for this purpose. Although digital cameras are preferred, it's not always appropriate to keep a digital camera in your car at all times. In a worst case scenario, if you don’t have a disposable or digital camera with you, you can use your camera on your cell phone. Although the quality of camera phones has improved greatly, these cameras still lack the adequate number of pixels to create pictures with the detail necessary or preferred. But in a pinch, don't hesitate to use your phone's camera at the scene.

So what should you take a picture of? Well certainly you want to take pictures of property damage to your vehicle as well as the vehicle of the at fault party. You should take numerous pictures and at various angles. Especially with a digital camera if one is available, it's always better to err on the side of caution and take more pictures than you think would be necessary. You should take close up pictures and pictures from further away. Take pictures of the same damage but from different places around the scene. If possible, consider taking pictures of any visible damage underneath the car.  You’ll want to even consider taking pictures of any type of damage inside the car.  All of this holds true for the property damage of the negligent driver as well.

Although the property damage photos are likely to be the most important, consider taking other photos as well. If the cars have not been moved yet from the angles which they came to rest, take pictures of their positions. If there are any skid marks in the road, take pictures of that as well. If you happen to have a ruler or measuring tape in your car, it would be helpful to lay that beside the skid mark for measurement purposes. Otherwise, you might use a common object like a pencil or a tire iron. You also might take pictures of the general scene. In particular, you’ll want to take pictures of anything that may have obstructed your view of that of the other driver. This is very important as those structures may be removed or changed immediately after the accident.
If you're not able to take pictures at the auto accident scene yourself, you might instruct other people that were in your vehicle or any friend or relative who shows up at the scene to take pictures. Because they may not have had the benefit of reading this article, be sure to instruct them as discussed above.

If it’s just not possible to take pictures at the accident scene, you can go to the where the cars were towed and take pictures there. As long as you're able to prove that it is your vehicles in the tow yard, you should have no problem gaining access in order to collect your belongings as well as take the pictures. Although these pictures are not going to be as useful as those taken at the accident scene, nonetheless, it is well worth having those pictures available.

Whether you have taken pictures at a car accident scene or at the tow yard, our law firm is likely to take additional pictures once we are hired to represent you. In some situations, we’ll send a private investigator or an auto accident reconstruction expert to the scene or the tow yard in order to be sure that everything is well documented. Our Tampa car accident lawyers’ willingness to spend the extra time and money to be sure that your case is adequately documented and the evidence preserved can make all the difference to the outcome of a car accident case whether it resulted in a wrongful death or less significant type of injuries.

Should you have questions about the use of photographs in your auto accident case, contact one of our car accident lawyers who would be glad to help you.