The Importance of Video Surveillance in a Truck Accident Claim

June 20, 2023 | By Colombo Law

Truck accident video surveillance may be crucial for your legal action. It can be difficult to identify sources of video footage. Fortunately, our attorneys have extensive experience and knowledge that enable us to determine what cameras may have captured the accident and how the footage can be used to your advantage.

Colombo Law is the most experienced truck accident law firm in West Virginia. Our team has an in-depth understanding of the evidence needed to prevail in claims involving commercial drivers and their employers. We doggedly track down truck accident video surveillance in preparing our clients’ cases.

Hurt By A Truck?™ Call Colombo Law at 304-599-4229 today for a FREE case review.

Where Can I Find Truck Accident Video Surveillance?

These days it probably seems like cameras are following you wherever you go. Although you may get the uncomfortable feeling that Big Brother is always watching, video surveillance has its benefits. The presence of video cameras can help deter crime and lead to the identification of the perpetrator if a crime is committed. Video footage also has positive applications in personal injury law.

If you are involved in an accident with a semi-truck or any other kind of vehicle, there is a strong possibility that the crash was captured by one or more cameras. These may include:

Dash Cams

Dashboard-mounted cameras (dash cams) are becoming increasingly common in the trucking industry. Trucking companies have a number of options for the cameras they mount on the inside of their rigs:

• Forward-facing dash cams: Records the road in front of the truck
• Driver-facing dash cams: Records the driver of the truck
• Four-way dash cams: Records all angles, including the front and sides of the truck as well as the driver

The footage captured by truck dash cams has a number of uses. Carriers may use dash cams to encourage safe driving and help bring their insurance premiums down. Video footage from dash cams may also help trucking companies defend themselves in the event of an accident, but this is a two-way street. Video surveillance from the truck’s dash cam may also favor the plaintiff.

More and more drivers are also installing dash cams in their vehicles. You might have one in your car, in which case we will review the footage when preparing your case. Other drivers with dash cams may also have video of the accident.

Traffic Cameras

Cameras mounted on stop lights in intersections and other areas of the road monitor traffic continuously. Although the use of photo-monitoring devices to prove speeding and other traffic infractions is prohibited in West Virginia, surveillance footage from traffic cameras may be used to present evidence of fault in civil claims arising from truck accidents and other crashes.

Read More: Who Is Liable for a Truck Accident?

Surveillance Cameras

From doorbell cameras connected to a homeowner’s smartphone to comprehensive surveillance systems on commercial properties, security cameras can be found just about everywhere. If the camera is pointing in the right direction, it may capture truck accident video surveillance that can help prove your case.

Recently, the sign outside Colombo Law’s Morgantown office was damaged when a tractor-trailer lost control. The entire incident was caught on camera.

Bottom line: Video footage is a powerful tool for establishing what happened in a truck accident.

Cell Phone Cameras

Nearly everyone has a high-quality video camera right in their pocket. Witnesses to the accident may record the events leading up to and during the crash. Our lawyers can use this footage (as well as any witness testimony) to build your case.

How Do I Get the Footage?

Video footage is time-stamped. You will need to know the date and, ideally, the exact time the accident occurred to ensure that you get the footage you need.

Recordings will not be saved forever. Witnesses, companies, and others can delete crucial videos at any time. If you have been in a truck accident, you need to do the following as soon as possible: 

Locate the Cameras

If you are involved in any type of motor vehicle accident, it is important to make a note of the following:

• Properties in the nearby vicinity with surveillance cameras
• Vehicles with dash cams
• Bystanders recording on their cell phones

All of these may be potential sources of video footage that can support your truck accident claim. Unfortunately, the scene of any accident is chaotic, and those who have been hit by commercial trucks tend to suffer serious injuries. You will likely need to enlist an attorney to locate surveillance cameras that may have recorded the crash.

Request the Video

Unless the video was recorded on a device you own (such as your dash cam, your cell phone, etc.), obtaining truck accident video surveillance footage can be challenging. The owners of private property may share the footage from their cameras if you ask nicely, but this won’t work when you’re trying to get footage from the trucking company.

It is in your best interest to retain an experienced lawyer as soon as possible after a truck accident. Your attorney will issue a letter to the trucking company and any other applicable parties demanding that video surveillance footage and any other evidence be preserved.

Access the Footage

Specialized software may be required to view surveillance videos. Experts may be needed to enhance the clarity of the footage and view key details. Truck accident law firms have the resources and access to expert witnesses to present video evidence effectively.

What Can Truck Accident Video Surveillance Help Prove?

To recover compensation for your injuries and damages in a truck accident, you will need to prove negligence. Negligence can take a host of different forms. If the accident was caught on camera, your lawyer can use the footage as evidence of errors on the part of the truck driver. These may include:

• Speeding
• Running a red light or stop sign
• Failure to check blind spots
• Over-steering and other sudden maneuvers
• Sudden stops and braking
• Errors when merging or changing lanes
• Reckless or aggressive driving

Video of the accident might seem to show that the truck driver is clearly at fault. However, it is important never to underestimate the aggressive defense tactics trucking companies and their insurers will use when faced with litigation. They will exploit any ambiguity in the footage to argue that the driver of the truck is not to blame.

Liability disputes are common in truck accident claims. Furthermore, multiple parties may be at fault. As such, it is essential not to rely on any one piece of evidence to support your case.

Get Help with Your Truck Accident Case

Strong evidence is required to win a truck accident claim. Colombo Law has earned millions of dollars for those who have been hurt by large trucks or lost loved ones in collisions with 18-wheelers.

View Our Results

Our attorneys prepare each case with the expectation that it will go to trial. We secure truck accident video surveillance and other evidence so we can build the strongest claim possible on your behalf. This often results in higher settlements; but, if it becomes necessary to go to trial, our team is fully capable of representing you in the courtroom.

Contact Colombo Law for a FREE consultation. Our firm serves the victims of trucking accidents in Morgantown and throughout West Virginia.