In the aftermath of a car crash, the scene will quickly end up swarmed by everyone from medical personnel to police officers to roadside workers and other emergency service crews. Vehicular debris and damaged vehicles get toted off the road within minutes in order to free up traffic.
This means that you need to act quickly if you want to preserve evidence. Snapping pictures in the direct aftermath of the crash is the best way to gather solid evidence for future insurance claims or lawsuits.
Car damage
Nerd Wallet discusses what you can do in the aftermath of a crash. First, inspect vehicular damage. Take a variety of detailed and close pictures of the damage your car suffered from. Look at damage on other vehicles involved in the crash as well, as this may help crash experts to reconstruct the scene of the accident. Do not forget to snap pictures of deployed airbags or other internal damages.
The scene of the crash
Capture the scene of the accident itself, too. You should try to take pictures of the entire area that the accident covered. Take photos or videos of everything possible, including traffic patterns, road conditions, skid marks, traffic signs, debris, weather conditions and the surrounding buildings in the area. Anything related to the crash or even potentially related should get a photo.
Personal injury
When you have the time and ability to do so, safely photograph your own injured body parts as well. Take shots from different angles and at varying distances. Your pictures should focus on casts, scarring, bruises, stitches, permanent injuries and wound coverings. Document the progression of the recovery as well. Always take more pictures or videos than you think you need, too, as it helps build a stronger case later.
