More and more drivers across Texas are installing a dashboard mounted camera in their cars and trucks. Although most are using it to help them avoid crashes, we recommend that all drivers buy a dash cam because it can help you prevail in a disputed liability claim. We have a staggering 80,000 plus car wrecks each year in Dallas and Tarrant Counties, so there is a chance of this happening to any driver here in North Texas.
How can a dash cam help you in a lawsuit or claim?
Video footage can win or lose a car crash trial. Watching the actual depiction of where the vehicles were, how fast they were going, and how they came to a stop will allow insurance company adjusters, attorneys, and juries determine which driver was at fault.
Video evidence is convincing and usually impossible to refute. Cameras can record what happens in front, behind, and to the side. They will also capture conversations made after an accident and whether the other driver appeared intoxicated or violent.
For the relatively small amount of about $200, evidence of how the wreck happened is preserved.
On the other hand, eyewitnesses can have completely differing versions of what happened — if they even actually saw the crash happen and can accurately remember it weeks or months later.
Our personal injury law firm also try to find the footage from street cameras and area businesses which may have recorded the crash.
Which one should I buy?
Here’s a good article to show you the best one to buy. And here is one that was advertised on the internet for only $49.95 in a pop up ad today.
What are the advantages of a dash cam?
There are many times the dash cam could be useful to you. What if your car is rear-ended when you are at a complete stop and the other driver tries to claim that you slammed on your brakes? This footage can be sent to his claims adjuster or used in a court proceeding. A jury is going to believe what it can see.
So the video can prove that you were not speeding, were in your lane, yielded the right of way at an intersection, and did not rear-end the car in front of you first, allegations that can be made by the other driver.
Dash cams can be forward or rear-facing and record automatically. They can also be set to work while the vehicle is parked which can help apprehend hit-and-run damage should you have parked the vehicle and left.
They can save you the substantial expense of hiring an accident reconstruction expert to go to the scene, take involved measurements, go to the wrecking yards, analyze all vehicles, download black boxes, etc.
Having footage also prevents you from getting ensnared in a fraudulent insurance claim and will keep your insurance rates from going up. It can reveal the license plate, make, model, and color of a vehicle, and even the driver’s face, in a hit-and-run, which happen more than you might realize here in North Texas.
The investigating police officer’s dash cam video can be priceless, especially if the person that hit you was driving while intoxicated.
It can also preserve what independent eyewitnesses said after the collision, although you need to get identifying information since the statements are hearsay.
We have seen our clients have their claims approved and cases won when we obtained their dash cam video.
It is hard to believe that a dash cam is not standard equipment the way that a back-up camera is required for all new cars sold after May of 2018 and available for the past 10 years.
A report conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board proved that dash cams reduce crashes and make drivers safer. That’s why many commercial vehicle companies now require that dash cams are installed on their 18-wheelers and trucks.
Is using a dash cam legal in Texas?
Yes, using one does not ordinarily invade another’s privacy rights, as Texas is considered a “one party consent state.” Since you are aware that the recording is being made, Texas law allows a recording if you are in public. The camera cannot obstruct your view of traffic.
Are there any disadvantages?
Yes, if you are at fault, even partially, it will be proof of that as well. Or if you are seen dialing phone numbers, playing with the infotainment system, looking away while eating or drinking, listening to loud music, or yawning, an adjuster or attorney may argue that you were distracted or tired.
We can help you
If you have questions about a car or truck accident you were in, you need to speak with a personal injury lawyer. Please contact Berenson Injury Law to schedule a free no obligation meeting by calling us toll-free at 1-885-801-8585 or by using our convenient form.