To boost your personal injury claim, you want to create a comprehensive record of the car accident and your injuries. While there are a variety of ways to document a car accident, adding some photographs to your record is a good idea. Fortunately, because most people own a smartphone with a camera feature, taking pictures is easier than ever. Here are four types of photographs you should take after a car accident.
- Traffic patterns
While a police officer is apt to make a formal report regarding the scene of the accident, you can supplement this evidence with your own photographs. Therefore, you should take some pictures of traffic patterns, road signs, stoplights and other relevant items.
- Driving conditions
When taking photographs of the accident, you do not want to forget to capture the overall conditions. Because weather, sun glare, road construction and other driving conditions may contribute to accident risk, you should try to present a realistic picture of how the area appeared during the collision.
- Vehicle damage
It is important to take a picture of all damaged vehicles. Doing so may be helpful in determining why and how the accident happened. The locations of the damage on fenders, bumpers and elsewhere can show collision points, as well as the direction that vehicles were traveling and the force of the impact.
- Your injuries
A car accident injury may change your life forever. While your medical records provide proof of your injuries, a photo may also be helpful. Similarly, photographing the stages of your recovery may be useful in documenting both your physical pain and your ongoing limitations.
Even though there is no substitute for other types of car accident documentation, taking some photographs is likely to improve your situation. Remember, though, you should only use your camera if you can do so without endangering yourself or others.