How do intersection cameras play into accident claims in South Carolina?

intersection camera

If you have sustained severe injuries in a car accident, you may want to file a legal claim to seek monetary compensation for the damages you’ve incurred. However, it’s imperative to understand that you must fulfill the burden of proof before recovering compensation. To satisfy this requirement, you must gather evidence that leaves little to no question that the other driver’s negligence was directly linked to the cause of the collision. While a police report, photos of the accident, and other pieces of proof are indispensable, hard evidence, such as intersection camera recordings that depict the accident in real-time, are instrumental to proving your claim. Please continue reading to learn how intersection camera footage can help you prove negligence and how a proficient Chesterfield County Auto Accident Lawyer can help you today. 

Can intersection camera footage help prove my accident claim in South Carolina?

If you have been injured in a car accident at an intersection, it’s possible that a traffic camera recorded the collision. This hard evidence is crucial in proving your accident claim as it may portray the other driver’s carelessness. However, traffic cameras are designed to capture traffic violations. This means they mainly focus on license plate numbers. Unfortunately, traffic cameras are not constantly recording at every intersection.

In such cases, you can turn to private camera footage. In South Carolina, surveillance cameras are typically installed in stores, restaurants, and residential homes. Many are angled to record nearby roads. This means there’s a good chance they captured the accident. These recordings can even show the driver’s behavior after the accident, meaning if they admitted fault before they changed their story or were intoxicated.

Can video footage hurt my case?

As mentioned, traffic or private camera footage shows what happened in real time. This means it offers the facts of the accident. Therefore, if you were partially at fault for the collision, if you were distracted driving, eating, or texting, it would show it. South Carolina is a comparative negligence state. This means that if you contributed to the cause of the accident, you can still recover damages. However, their award will be reduced by their degree of fault for the collision. Video footage of the accident will help the court determine each party’s degree of fault.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a determined Chesterfield County auto accident lawyer from The Cockrell Law Firm, P.C., who can help you investigate the circumstances of the accident and gather pertinent evidence to support prove your claim.