If you were injured in a Virginia car crash, it is important to gather as much evidence as possible to prove that the other driver was at fault for the crash. Because without independent evidence, it can be very difficult to prove fault if the other driver lies and blames you for the crash. Therefore, it’s important that you (when possible) gather as much evidence about the crash as soon as possible. This includes:
- Taking photographs of the accident scene, position of the vehicles, and damage to the vehicles;
- Seeking out witnesses and make sure to capture their names and contact information (if you don’t have a way to contact them, it’s as if they don’t exist);
- Speaking to the at-fault driver to confirm they are acknowledging fault for the crash;
- Speaking with the officer to determine if they charged the at-fault driver for the crash and whether the at-fault driver admitted fault;
- Determining whether video exists of the crash;
- Completing a Freedom of Information Act Request to obtain the police file regarding the crash;
Take a look for yourself.
With the prevalence of video, often, there will be video of your crash. This could be from someone’s dash camera, store security video, and/or traffic cameras.
In a perfect world, the officer investigating your crash will seek out video of your crash. However, that does not always happen. So, you should take a look yourself. This could mean going back to the scene of your crash to see if there are any stores or buildings near your accident scene with cameras pointed towards where your crash occured.
It may also involve traffic cameras owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
How do I know whether a VDOT camera captured the accident?
VDOT created a website that produces live fees of traffic cameras at www.511virginia.org. Unfortuantely, VDOT indicates on this site that it does not record and archive the footage from these cameras. So, you cannot simply ask them for the footage.
However, there are websites like https://virginia.trafficcamarchive.com/cameraList.jsp that do archive traffic camera video. To be clear, not all dates and cameras are captured. And, from a trial perspective, these videos may not be easily admitted into evidence. But they can be very a very useful tool in the investigation of your case.
Still have questions?
Make sure to check out our Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Practice Pages where we’ve answered many other questions you likely have. Abrenio Law is a Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Law Firm representing individuals in Northern Virginia and throughout the Commonwealth. You can learn more about Abrenio Law by visiting our About Us page. You can also read about some of our Prior Results, and Read Our Reviews. Make sure to contact us at Ph. 703-570-4180 for your Free Consultation.