People nowadays record life events daily, sometimes capturing unaware people and spontaneous moments in real-time.
The increment in the use of dashboard cameras by drivers in New Jersey responds to increased auto accident rates due to traffic saturation on roads and highways. According to New Jersey personal injury attorneys, dash cameras can supply vital data about the details of an accident and determining liability.
Dashboard Camera Features
Dashboard video recording devices usually are installed inside the vehicle, fixed to the dashboard, or on the windshield. Dashcams have different features:
- interior audio and video recording
- visual footage recording happening in front of the vehicle
- vehicle speed registration
- side or rearview footage recording
- dashcams can activate as soon as the car starts rolling
- motion around, inside, or near the vehicle can activate the camera
Dashboard cameras will record everything happening at the time, from a neutral perspective, including your actions and behavior and the other drivers. It is best advised to review all recorded dashcam data following an attorney’s guidance to ensure data has not been tampered with and would prove beneficial for your claim.
Dashboard Cameras Record Even The Smallest Details
Confusion can easily overcome after an unexpected sudden motor vehicle accident, compromising your visual recollection of the events. Video recording devices can prove useful at recording details you have overseen:
- other party’s (driver’s) actions and behavior, demonstrating if their recklessness caused the accident
- witnesses present at the time of the events which can attest how the situation played out, as well as provide input regarding the parties involved
- hazards found in the road that could have lead to the incident happening or prove the road is unsafe for other drivers
- missing, damaged, or defective traffic road signals that hinder the safety of other vehicles and their occupants
- data about other vehicles involved in the incident, including license plate numbers, model, and make of vehicles that might have fled the scene
- providing all collected information to your lawyer will weigh heavily on determining liability (who is at fault) for the accident. Footage recorded in the dashcam will supplement any data provided by yourself or any other witnesses, including details you might have missed.
Do New Jersey Courts Admit Dash Cam Footage?
Footage obtained from dashboard cameras can prove useful in litigation and settlement negotiations, but it must remain unedited to be admissible in court.
Follow your personal injury attorney’s advice regarding how the dashcam footage could endanger your case in any possible way before you present it as evidence. Dashcams are the equivalent to impartial witnesses, capturing everything and everyone present at the time, no tampering. If the other party knows of the existence of a dashboard camera and potential use of video footage, they might want to request a subpoena to back up their version against your claim.
Video data collected from dash cams is a valuable contribution for reconstructing the accident and validating your version of what happened. Footage can also discredit any false accusations and fabricated evidence coming from the opposing party.
Contact our Car Accidents Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one are involved in a car accident, you are entitled to consult with a car accident lawyer once you have secured medical care for your injuries. Your attorney can assist in collecting supporting data for your damage claim, ensuring you receive compensation while negotiating with insurance carriers.
At The Law Office of Cohen & Riechelson, we pridefully represent clients in Trenton, Princeton, Hamilton, and the greater Mercer County area. Contact our legal advisors to help you better understand how you can use your dashcam footage to support your claim,
You can call us at 609.528.2596 or contact us through our online contact form.
