Motor vehicle accidents are unfortunately common in the Seattle area. When a motor vehicle accident happens, those involved may try to push the blame onto others.
This is particularly true in cases where somebody was especially negligent in causing an accident. In dealing with this situation, you must have strong evidence to prove your side of the story. While you may not realize it, dashcam footage can play a vital role in a Seattle auto accident claim. Our Seattle car accident lawyers are here to explain.
Benefits of Using Dashcam Footage in Auto Accident Claims
After an auto accident, having available dashcam footage for your personal injury claim can provide several benefits. One of the most obvious benefits is that it provides a clear, unbiased view of what occurred during the accident.
This footage can help you prove your argument and disprove disputes or disagreements regarding who is at fault. It also captures the events that lead up to the accident, which could include drivers texting or engaging in other reckless actions.
Another benefit is that dashcam footage can help recreate the scene of the accident. This can be useful when there are no witnesses or conflicting testimonies from those involved. Insurance companies, Seattle car accident lawyers, and law enforcement officials can better understand how the accident unfolded by reviewing the footage.
Using dashcam footage during your auto accident claim can expedite settlement. When presented with strong visual evidence, insurance companies are often more willing to accept liability and offer fair compensation for your losses and damages.
If you were in a car accident and want to file a personal injury claim using dashcam footage, our Washington personal injury lawyer can help. Our team will help you compile evidence for your claim and present it to the at-fault driver’s insurance company while demanding fair compensation for your losses and damages.
What Damages Can You Recover?
After being hurt in an auto accident, proving your case against the defendant will provide you with the ability to seek compensation for the damages you face. Washington only allows individuals harmed in accidents to seek compensatory damages in their personal injury lawsuits. These damages can be either economic or non-economic.
Economic damages include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Future medical expenses
- Loss of earning capacity
- Wrongful death damages (if applicable)
Non-economic damages include:
- Inconvenience
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Mental anguishEmotional distress
- Loss of consortium
To recover compensation for your losses and expenses, you must prove the elements of negligence existed at the time of the accident.
Proving Negligence with Dashcam Footage
Dashcam footage can help you prove the elements of negligence in your car crash claim. Here is how:
- Duty of care: Your dashcam footage can demonstrate the normal traffic flow. It can also show road conditions and relevant traffic signs. This information can help to establish a standard duty of care while on the road.
- Breach of duty: Your dashcam footage can capture any actions performed by the at-fault party, such as speeding, running red lights, driving recklessly, or other violations that may demonstrate that they breached the duty of care.
- Causation: This information can help establish a link between the at-fault driver’s action and the accident that ensued.
- Damages: The recorded footage can show the severity of the impact, the extent of your property damage, and even the immediate aftermath. The dashcam footage visually represents all the damages you may have suffered in your accident.
Furthermore, if there was no one to witness the accident, your recorded footage can be used to back your claim against the defendant. Our Washington personal injury lawyer can help you gather dashcam footage when building your case against the defendant. Seeking legal representation immediately ensures you do not lose any recorded footage.
Overcoming Comparative Negligence
In Washington, the comparative negligence laws will dictate the compensation you recover for your damages. This doctrine states that if you contributed to the accident in any way, the compensation you recover will be reduced in proportion to the fault you shared. Dasham footage can help prove that the defendant shared the majority or all of the fault for the accident so that you can maximize your financial recovery.
Contact Our Washington Personal Injury Lawyer Now
At Bernard Law Group, our top priority is helping those affected by car accidents in our city. With over three decades of successfully litigating personal injury claims for victims in Seattle and across Washington and a philosophy centered around providing comprehensive legal support, we understand the unique challenges that accident victims face.
Our Seattle car accident lawyers are dedicated to getting our clients the compensation they deserve so that they can focus on their recovery and taking care of themselves and their families.
