Dashcams are becoming increasingly popular amongst drivers, as they help keep a record of your actions, as well as other motorists, on the road. The footage from these videos can be an excellent source of evidence in an auto accident claim, but there are times when they can be damaging. It's always important to be critical of the footage you capture.
1. May Disprove Your Statement
Dashcam footage does not provide a 100% complete vantage of a collision and the events that may have led up to it, but it does provide a great deal of detail. If you did not give a completely accurate statement, be careful, as the footage might disprove your statement.
The unfortunate reality is that insurance companies often look for even the smallest inconsistency on the part of the victim to reduce the level of fault on their clients. For this reason, if you stated that it was sunny outside, but the footage shows that it was raining and you had your windshield wipers on, it will give them grounds to make everything that you say, questionable. Again, review the facts from the evidence with your attorney to ensure the dashcam footage will prove the information you provided in your statement, not disprove it.
2. Could Prove Fault on Your Part
Another way this footage can be damaging is that it may disprove that you are, in fact, at least partly to blame for the accident. For instance, consider a rear-end collision in which the driver is accusing the other vehicle of slamming on their brakes suddenly. Consider if the driver happened to be a parent with their child in the car and claimed that they were not distracted and was focused on the road. However, upon review of the audio portion of the dashcam, the parent can be heard trying to soothe their young children, such as stating that they are trying to pass them their toy or snack.
It might not seem like a big deal, but to the insurance company, this is enough proof to at least introduce the idea that the parent was not fully focused on the road, and therefore, not in the best position to keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of them and prevent the collision.
If you have dashcam footage, remember that it is always a good idea to speak with an auto accident attorney to determine how to best use this evidence.
