Being in a car accident can be scary, and it’s often difficult in the moment to think about what to do to make sure you’re not held responsible for an accident that wasn’t your fault. This is why it is important to prepare by taking photos at the scene of an accident. These photos can help you in many ways as you navigate your way through the insurance claims process.
So what photos should you take when you’re in an accident? Erie Insurance explains that taking different types of photos from a wide angle is essential to documenting the entire scene and close-ups of vehicle damage. You should also aim to report any other property damage, normal traffic flow, traffic light intervals and any skid marks caused by the accident. These photos can help you as your insurance company looks into the accident, and they can do so in a few different ways.
Car accident photos help demonstrate what happened in the accident
First of all, before an insurance company processes your claim, they will want to know exactly what happened in the accident in question. Sometimes, this is not too difficult for your claims agent to understand. A police report can contain clear information about what happened and who was responsible, especially if the other driver has admitted fault.
However, in other cases, the situation can be more complicated. In those cases, your claims agent can view your photos as a valuable tool to help them document exactly what happened to cause the accident in the first place.
Whatever you do, don’t make the initial mistake of not documenting the scene of an accident.
Photos can speed up your insurance claim
Another reason why it is so important to take photos of the scene if you have been involved in an accident is that the insurance claims process can often be relatively slow. There is a lot of red tape that your agent has to go through, and they can get bogged down in haggling with the other driver’s insurance agent.
The less time your agent has to spend processing the claim, reading reports, and determining exactly what happened, the better off you’ll be. More than likely, if your car has been totaled, for example, you’ll want to complete the claim as soon as possible in order to get the funds you need to purchase a new vehicle. This is why photographic evidence is essential to support your version of the accident.
Car accident photos can support you in a dispute
Even if you think the accident is clear in terms of fault, you may be unpleasantly surprised to find that not everyone involved agrees with you. Sometimes people will plead not guilty, even when they were clearly the cause of the crash.
What is challenging in these cases is that you may not know until later that the other driver has denied responsibility. This is why it is so important to collect all possible evidence while you are still at the scene of the crash. This evidence can include things like witness statements and contact information. However, photographs will do an even better job of documenting much of the information your insurance agent will ask for.
In the heat of the moment, it can be easy to let something as simple as taking pictures slip your mind, but it’s crucial not to. The last thing you want when you’re already stressed is to get into a long, drawn-out argument about what really happened.
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