Can a Dash Camera Help in Your Personal Injury Case?

Evidence is important in any personal injury case, and that holds true for car accidents. Today, more and more people are installing dash cameras, and they can provide extremely strong evidence after a car accident. However, any driver considering installing a dash cam in their car should know that while these devices can help, they can also hurt individuals after a crash.

The Law on Dash Cams in Ohio

It is legal for drivers to install dash cams in their vehicle in Ohio. The only real restriction on them is that they cannot be installed on the windshield in the state. Still, dash cams can be installed on the dashboard, the rearview mirror, or anywhere else in the vehicle. 

Dash cams can also record video and audio inside and outside of the vehicle as long as they are not mounted on the windshield. Ohio’s wiretapping laws also allow for one-party consent, meaning that it is legal to record a conversation as long as one party consents to it. As such, drivers do not have to tell passengers that they have a dash cam, or that it is recording their audio.

Dash Cams Can Help a Personal Injury Case

Video footage is always some of the best evidence used when proving a driver was negligent and caused a crash. Video footage carries much more weight than even witness statements because it is unbiased and provides a much more accurate account of what occurred. According to Consumer Reports, dashcam footage is taken very seriously by insurance companies and other drivers. Even when a witness or driver involved in a crash is adamant that the accident occurred one way, judges, juries, and insurance companies will take video footage much more seriously if it shows otherwise.

Dash Cams Can Hurt a Personal Injury Case

Although dash cams can greatly help a personal injury case, they can also greatly hurt it. If you have a dash cam and negligently cause an accident, the dash cam will record it just as it would if you were not at fault. If the other side sees your dash cam or learns of it,  they can ask their lawyer to obtain the footage, and they will likely be successful with it. 

Your dash cam may show that you ran a red light, or even that you were texting or were otherwise distracted inside the vehicle. The greatest drawback to dash cams is the same as their strength. They show exactly what happened, regardless of whether you were at fault or not.

Our Personal Injury Lawyers in Ohio Can Collect Important Evidence

If you have dashcam footage that shows you did not cause an accident, our Ohio personal injury lawyers at Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott, LLC will use it to help you claim the full settlement you deserve. If another driver had a dashcam at the time of the crash, we also know how to obtain it to help with your case. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free consultation so we can get started on your claim.