Car accidents happen in a fraction of a second. A minor miscalculation can cause a driver to lose control of their car. That miscalculation can include switching lanes on Beach Boulevard without checking a blind spot or racing through a yellow light at 25th Avenue and 14th Street just as it turns red.
Before you know it, your car is wrecked, and you’ve been seriously injured all because someone wasn’t being a smart driver. In that same fraction of a second, the negligent driver might think they are not at fault.
When they see the prospect of a traffic ticket and higher insurance premiums, they may deny responsibility. This then becomes an accident with two distinct versions of who is to blame. Although both drivers might be adamant in their version, the best way to uncover the truth is to review any available surveillance footage of the accident.
Getting ahold of that footage is another matter. That is when you should call on a skilled Gulfport car accident lawyer.
An attorney with experience in car accident claims will know how to secure that footage before it is deleted. Once you have it, that footage can support your version of the accident and help show who caused it.
How Does Surveillance Footage Help Establish Liability?
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) operates traffic cameras along interstates and highways, but those cameras stream live video for traffic management, and MDOT doesn’t store the images. The footage that matters usually comes from other cameras near the crash, and it can help clarify critical details leading up to an accident that both drivers and witnesses might overlook or dispute.
That footage can prove or disprove the following:
Traffic Violations
Footage can absolutely show a driver running a red light. It can also show a car failing to yield, making an illegal turn, or disregarding traffic signs. All of that can point directly to negligence.
Distracted Driving
A camera close to the crash, like a dashcam or a gas station’s security camera, might capture not only what happens outside the vehicle but also what happens inside. It can spot whether a driver is looking at their phone, eating, or doing other distracting activities before a collision.
Speeding or Reckless Driving
Although a surveillance camera doesn’t have a speedometer, the footage can still reveal aggressive maneuvers, unsafe lane changes, or other driving behavior consistent with speeding.
Timeline
Footage from a nearby camera can establish an accident timeline. It can show which vehicle entered an intersection first, which way the cars were traveling, and the actions immediately preceding impact.
Hit-and-Run Accidents
In a hit-and-run accident, nearby cameras might capture a fleeing vehicle’s license plate, make, model, color, and direction of travel. That can help police track down the driver.
Comparative Negligence
Mississippi uses pure comparative negligence, so your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault but not wiped out. Footage can show how much each driver contributed, including which car set off the chain reaction in a collision involving multiple vehicles.
Although surveillance footage can be persuasive, it does not automatically establish negligence. Camera angles, obstructions, recording quality, and missing context can limit what the evidence proves.
Common Sources of Surveillance Footage Following a Collision
Advances in digital technology have made it possible to install cameras in many places. In the aftermath of an accident, you need to explore all the following possibilities:
- Traffic cameras
- Commercial security cameras
- Residential security cameras
- Dashboard cameras
- Public transportation cameras
Steps to Secure Surveillance Video Before It Is Deleted
Surveillance footage can be critical evidence in a Mississippi car accident claim. Unfortunately, it may not remain available for long. Many security systems automatically overwrite recordings within days or weeks. That is why it is vital to act immediately to preserve valuable evidence before it disappears. Your attorney will play a crucial role in obtaining that footage.
First, identify any nearby cameras. Look for surveillance cameras at gas stations, restaurants, retail businesses, parking lots, and residences near the accident scene.
Traffic monitoring cameras may also be present. If a city or county camera recorded the crash, your attorney can request the footage under Mississippi’s Public Records Act. Your attorney can contact businesses or homeowners to ask whether their cameras captured the collision. Collect the original footage from several minutes before and after the accident.
Why You Need a Lawyer to Subpoena Private Security Recordings
Tracking down surveillance footage from multiple sources, including government entities, can feel overwhelming. That’s where Owen, Owen & Smith, PLLC can help.
Our legal team can investigate all the potential surveillance sources. We’ll immediately send out preservation letters. If a business won’t hand over its video, we may need to subpoena that footage once a lawsuit is filed.
Once we have it, we may work with an accident reconstruction specialist to analyze the footage. That can help explain how it supports your account of the accident. The sooner we begin an investigation, the more likely we are to preserve critical video evidence before it is permanently lost.
Call to schedule a consultation to discuss what happened and how we can help.
The sooner you get help, the stronger your claim can become.
