Can Doorbell Cameras and Dash Cams Help Win Your Personal Injury Case?
When you're involved in an accident, one of the most important questions is often simple: What really happened?
In many personal injury cases, the answer can come down to evidence. Photos, police reports, medical records, witness statements, and other documentation can all help establish what happened and who was responsible. Today, there is another source of evidence that can be particularly valuable: video footage.
Doorbell cameras, dash cams, security cameras, and even videos recorded on a cell phone can capture an accident as it happens. In some cases, this footage can provide important evidence that supports an injury claim.
If you have been injured in an accident in New York, understanding how video evidence can be used—and what you should do to preserve it—can help protect your rights.
How Video Footage Can Help a Personal Injury Case
Accidents can happen in a matter of seconds. Afterward, the people involved may remember the events differently, and witnesses may not have seen everything that happened. Video footage can provide an objective record of what occurred. For example, a recording may show:
A vehicle running a red light or stop sign
A driver making an unsafe lane change
A vehicle speeding or driving aggressively
A pedestrian being struck in a crosswalk
A slip and fall on an unsafe property condition
The conditions surrounding an accident
What happened immediately before or after a collision
Video does not automatically establish liability, but it can provide valuable evidence when determining how an accident occurred.
Doorbell Cameras May Capture More Than You Think
Doorbell cameras have become increasingly common on homes and businesses throughout New York.
Although these cameras are primarily designed for security, they may capture activity occurring on nearby sidewalks, driveways, streets, or other areas surrounding a property. A doorbell camera could potentially capture:
A car accident occurring near a home
A pedestrian accident
A hit-and-run
A delivery-related accident
A dangerous condition on or near a property
The footage may also capture events immediately before an accident, which can be important when determining what caused it.
Act Quickly to Preserve the Recording
One important consideration with security and doorbell camera footage is that recordings may not be stored indefinitely. Depending on the system, older footage may eventually be automatically deleted or overwritten.
If you believe a nearby camera may have captured your accident, let your attorney know as soon as possible. An attorney can help identify potentially relevant footage and take appropriate steps to preserve evidence.
Dash Cam Footage Can Provide a Different Perspective
Dash cams are another increasingly valuable source for accident evidence. A dash cam may record the road immediately before, during, and after a collision. This can help establish important details that may otherwise be disputed. This footage may show:
Which vehicle had the right of way
Whether a driver was speeding
Whether a driver suddenly changed lanes
Whether a traffic signal was red or green
What the other driver did immediately before the collision
If you have a dash cam recording of your accident, do not delete or alter the footage. Preserve the original recording and provide it to your attorney.
What About Cell Phone Videos?
Video evidence isn't limited to cameras installed on buildings or vehicles. A witness may have recorded an accident, captured the aftermath, or taken photographs or videos at the scene. You may also have recorded something yourself.
If you discover that someone has video of your accident, ask them to preserve the original recording and provide their contact information to your attorney. Even footage that doesn't show the actual moment of impact can potentially provide useful information about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Video Evidence Can Help With Hit-and-Run Accidents
Video footage can be particularly important in hit-and-run cases. If the driver leaves the scene, identifying the vehicle and determining what happened can be difficult without witnesses or other evidence. Nearby cameras may capture:
The vehicle involved
Its direction of travel
The license plate
The collision itself
The driver's actions before the accident
If you were injured in a hit-and-run accident, tell your attorney about any nearby businesses, homes, intersections, or vehicles that may have cameras. Time can be critical because recordings may only be retained for a limited period.
Video Evidence Can Also Help in Slip-and-Fall Cases
Video isn't only useful for automobile accidents. Security cameras may also document conditions that contributed to a slip-and-fall or other premises liability accident. For example, surveillance footage could show:
A wet or slippery floor
An unsafe walkway
Debris or an obstruction
A property condition that caused someone to fall
How long a dangerous condition existed before the accident
The footage may help establish what the property looked like at the time of the accident and provide additional information about the circumstances surrounding the injury.
What Should You Do If You Know a Camera Captured Your Accident?
If you believe a camera recorded your accident, don't assume someone else will automatically save the footage.
Instead:
1. Make a note of nearby cameras
Look around the accident scene for:
Doorbell cameras
Business security cameras
Traffic cameras
Gas station cameras
Parking lot cameras
Dashcams in nearby vehicles
You don't need to obtain the footage yourself. Simply identifying where cameras may be located can be helpful for your case.
2. Tell your attorney
Provide your attorney with as much information as possible about the location of the camera and when the accident occurred.
3. Preserve any footage you already have
If you have a recording, keep the original file. Avoid editing, cropping, or otherwise altering it.
4. Don't assume that footage is unimportant
Even if a video doesn't capture the entire accident, it may contain information that helps establish what happened.
What If the Video Doesn't Show the Entire Accident?
That's okay!
A common misconception is that video evidence must show the exact moment of impact to be useful. That isn't necessarily the case. A recording could provide information about:
Traffic conditions
Weather conditions
The behavior of the people or vehicles involved
What happened immediately before the accident
What happened immediately afterward
Your attorney can evaluate the footage alongside other evidence to determine its potential value to your case.
Video Is Only One Part of Your Personal Injury Case
While video can be powerful evidence, it is rarely the only evidence used to establish a personal injury claim. Depending on the circumstances, your case may also involve:
Medical records
Police reports
Photographs
Witness statements
Accident reconstruction
Employment records
Property records
Insurance information
The strength of a personal injury case often comes from putting these different pieces of evidence together to establish what happened, who was responsible, and how the accident affected you.
Don't Wait to Preserve Important Evidence
If you've been injured in an accident, evidence can become harder to find as time passes. Security footage can be overwritten, witnesses can become difficult to locate, and important details can be forgotten. If you believe a doorbell camera, dash cam, security camera, or other recording may have captured your accident, make sure your attorney knows about it as soon as possible.
At the Law Office of Albert Zafonte Jr., we understand how important evidence can be when pursuing a personal injury claim. We help injured individuals throughout Uniondale, Long Island, and New York understand their legal options and pursue the compensation they may be entitled to. If you or a loved one has been injured because of someone else's negligence, contact the Law Office of Albert Zafonte Jr. for a free consultation.
You don't have to navigate the claims process alone!