It is human nature to try to avoid negative consequences. Many people will quickly lie to protect themselves from the consequences of their decisions.
For example, the driver who ran a red light and crashed into you at an intersection or who drove at such high speeds that they spun out of control and caused a multi-car collision on the freeway might blatantly lie to law enforcement officers responding to the crash. They may claim that they did nothing that violated the law.
Unless there are traffic cameras nearby or witnesses to the crash, the situation may result in the police officer needing to weigh your word against the claims made by the other driver. However, your mobile phone could actually help you prove what happened during the collision.
Before you move the vehicles, gather some evidence
As long as your phone didn’t end up smashed in the car crash, it will be a powerful tool in the immediate aftermath of the wreck. Using your phone to capture still photos and video footage of the scene of the crash will allow for a better and more accurate analysis by law enforcement and may eventually lead to a recreation that shows you were not to blame.
Instead of zooming in on the damage to your vehicle, large, wide-angled shots that show the placement of the vehicles in relation to one another and nearby landmarks are more beneficial. Video footage that shows the crash scene from numerous perspectives can also be quite valuable when attempting to prove what caused the crash later.
Although it is typically advisable to move your vehicles shortly after a crash to allow traffic to continue moving while you wait for the police, you may need to take a few minutes to gather evidence before doing so. Otherwise, the placement of your vehicles may confuse police officers and further complicate the process of proving who was to blame.
What other kinds of evidence can help?
Traffic cameras and eyewitnesses are far from the only forms of evidence that could help you prove your case. You, the other driver or people passing by may have dashboard cameras that could help. Even security cameras at nearby houses or businesses might capture some of the street and therefore the crash. In scenarios where you suspect digital distraction, phone records requested by an attorney or the police could help prove that someone used their device immediately prior to the collision.
Understanding how you prove fault after a significant car crash will help you get compensation from insurance or the other driver.
