Do I Need to Take Pictures of My Car After an Accident?

When an accident happens, what should you do? Calling 911 is easy to remember, as if talking with the police and
paramedics when they arrive. But what else should you do? Is there something that you can do that would be pivotal
to protecting the car accident claim you would be making in the near future?

In this FAQ, Gary details how you should take pictures of the accident immediately. Taking pictures of the state of
the vehicles and the locations of the vehicles immediately following the accident can help substantiate your car
accident claim and make sure that you get the full amounts of recovery that you are owed. If you have any questions
about this article, questions about car accidents and dealing with insurance, or if you would like to speak to a personal injury lawyer in St. Louis immediately, call our team at
314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222. We don’t charge any fees for our consultations and
we never charge any attorneys fees unless we win your claim.

Do I need to take pictures of my Car Accident?

First things first, if you’re hurt and unable to move around, don’t worry about taking pictures of the accident. Your
health and safety are far more important and you shouldn’t risk either of those by moving around and further
injuring yourself. Let the paramedics see to your injuries and make sure that you get all of the care that you need.
Pictures can wait.

If you aren’t seriously injured, taking pictures of the accident is something you should absolutely do. Remember,
even if you don’t feel injured right now, shock and adrenaline can mask your injuries. If you have an injury that
appears the following day after you’ve told the insurance you weren’t injured, having photographic proof of the
severity of the accident can help with your claim.

What should you get pictures of? First, take several pictures of the damages to your vehicle, where your vehicle is
on the road, and where the other person’s vehicle is. Also, take as many pictures of their vehicle as you can as
well. Pictures are great at proving claims and can be used to substantiate your side of the story. If your airbag
went off, get a picture of that. If their airbag went off, get a picture of that as well. This helps show the level
of force. If there is lots of debris on the road because of the accident, get a picture of that as well. Are there
any skid marks on the road that were caused by the accident? Get a picture of that too. Anything that can be used to
show the level of force involved in the accident is going to help push your claim even further.

If you can do this and the other person is willing, get a recorded statement of them taking responsibility for the
accident. Don’t try to force anyone to say anything, just ask them what happened and get them to admit that they
caused it. With their admission, the insurance company will have a harder time trying to place any blame on you.
This really helps in terms of your recovery and your insurance policy.

With these pieces of evidence, you can pursue a really strong insurance claim against the other individual and their
insurance provider. Remember, if you are hurt and can’t get up to do these things then don’t do it. Your health is
more important and an experienced lawyer can get these facts for you through different means. If you have any
questions about this article or if you currently dealing with a car insurance claim and you need help, call or
contact our Personal Injury Lawyers in St. Louis now at 314-542-2222 or
618-272-2222.

Gary Burger

Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO

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