Types of Photos to Take Following a Motor Vehicle Crash

Types of Photos to Take Following a Motor Vehicle Crash

If you’re involved in a motor vehicle crash, first and foremost make sure everyone is OK and contact the police and/or emergency services. After this, if you are able, you should take photos of the vehicles involved, the crash scene and any injuries sustained. You may not know at that very moment if you will be filing a claim with insurance or filing a lawsuit, but it is very important to gather as much evidence as possible. Even if you believe the accident may be your fault, it is still important to take pictures to show the weather, road condition, position of vehicles, etc. Also, over time, the memories of people involved in a crash can become less clear, so pictures are a great way to preserve what happened. Here are some of the specific things you should make sure to get photos of following a crash:

1. Damage to your car;
2. Damage to any other vehicles or property involved;
3. The overall scene;
4. The weather and road conditions;
5. The positions of the vehicles after the crash;
6. Any injuries you sustained in the crash;
7. Any passengers in your vehicle at the time of the crash and any injuries they may have sustained;
8. Any skid marks or lack of skid marks;
9. Traffic signs;
10. Any obstructions on the roadway;
11. Witnesses (make sure you have their permission) and surrounding businesses (they may have security cameras);
12. Any glass or other debris laying in the roadway from the crash;
13. License plates; and
14. Insurance cards.

Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list of what you should take photos of following a motor vehicle crash, but, hopefully, it will help you gather the evidence you need if you end up filing an insurance claim or even a lawsuit. Hopefully, you will not need this list, but just in case it is always better to be prepared.