Photos or footage from traffic cameras might be available following a car accident in Philadelphia. If that’s the case, it’s best to act quickly so that you can obtain such images.
There are two main types of traffic cameras in Philadelphia: red-light cameras and speed cameras. If one of these cameras photographed your recent car accident, our attorneys will contact the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) or the Philadelphia Police Department to request access to those images. It is important to do this immediately as there is no guarantee either agency will keep photos for long. If you are not able to obtain traffic camera footage or photographs of your accident, we will look for other evidence, such as surveillance footage and photographs from eyewitnesses, to help prove a negligent driver’s fault for your injuries.
For help with your case from The Reiff Law Firm, call our Philadelphia car accident attorneys today at (215) 709-6940.
Do Traffic Cameras Keep Footage of Accidents in Philadelphia?
Traffic cameras, especially speed and red-light cameras, are common in Philadelphia. While these cameras are only triggered in certain situations, they might have photographed your accident, depending on the circumstances. If you think that’s the case in your situation, contacting our Bucks County car accident attorneys immediately is important, as images of your accident might not be kept for long.
Red-Light Cameras
There are plenty of red-light cameras in Philadelphia, especially in densely populated areas like Center City. These cameras take two pictures: one of the reckless driver’s face and another of their license plate. They are triggered when a driver runs a stoplight. So, if you were injured in an accident that took place in an intersection, and the cause of the accident was a driver running a stoplight, a red-light camera might have taken photos. To obtain these photos, our attorneys will contact the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Generally, these photos are kept for as long as it takes to identify a reckless driver and give them a fine for running a stoplight. They might not be kept for much longer after that point, so contacting the necessary agencies immediately after an accident is crucial.
Speed Cameras
In Philadelphia, speed cameras are largely concentrated along Roosevelt Boulevard, or Route 1. These cameras take photos of negligent drivers going over 11 mph over the speed limit. The Philadelphia Parking Authority reports that as of 2023, 285,220 violations were issued to speeding drivers as a result of these speed cameras. The cameras were only installed along the road in 2020. These cameras take identifying photos of drivers so that the PPA can issue fines. Because of that, the PPA will keep such photos for some time, though not necessarily forever. So, our lawyers will contact the PPA if you believe that a speed camera photographed your accident. In doing so immediately after a crash, you have a greater chance of obtaining such images.
How Long Until You Know if Traffic Cameras Filmed Your Accident in Philadelphia?
It’s best to confirm whether or not a traffic camera could have taken images of your accident as soon as you can. We can do this by visiting the accident scene to see if there are any traffic cameras in the area near your accident in Philadelphia.
You will likely know whether or not it is even a possibility that a traffic camera filmed or photographed your accident in Philadelphia when you survey the scene. If you cannot look for yourself because of your injuries, our attorneys can do so. If there are no traffic cameras in the area, that means there is no footage or photographs for you to obtain.
If there are traffic cameras nearby, our attorneys will reach out to the necessary agencies. Sometimes, these agencies can take a long time to respond to requests for footage or images. Our Allentown car accident attorneys can subpoena such images if necessary to speed up this process. Getting these images as quickly as possible will be important when building your case in Philadelphia.
What if Traffic Cameras Didn’t Keep Footage of Your Accident in Philadelphia?
Suppose there were no traffic cameras nearby to film your recent car accident, or the PPA or Philadelphia Police Department did not keep such images long enough for you to access them. In that case, there might be other video and photographic evidence you can use to prove a negligent driver’s fault for your injuries.
Philadelphia is a diverse area. Some parts of the city are densely populated, full of stores and businesses with security cameras. Other areas are more residential, with many homes that might have surveillance cameras. Depending on the location of your accident, one of these devices might have filmed the crash. Our lawyers will contact owners of security cameras near your accident site to obtain such footage and use it to support your claim.
It is common for eyewitnesses to take pictures or videos of car accidents. Such images might be from the aftermath of an accident, yet will likely still be useful to your case. Even if eyewitnesses did not take pictures or videos, their statements might be sufficient in helping to prove a driver’s negligence.
You can also help your case by taking photographs after a crash in Philadelphia. Take pictures of your injuries and property damage to your vehicle. Photograph the entire accident scene if possible.
Along with other evidence, such as your medical records and expert statements, such evidence can result in a strong compensation claim, whether or not traffic camera footage of your accident is available.
Call Our Philadelphia Lawyers to Discuss Your Car Accident
Call our Delaware County car accident attorneys at (215) 709-6940 to set up a free case assessment from The Reiff Law Firm.
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