If you’ve been injured in a Pennsylvania car accident, it’s important to gather evidence supporting your claim against a negligent party. That includes any potential traffic camera footage. But how can you get such footage, and what should you do if a traffic camera did not film your Pennsylvania collision?
Obtaining traffic camera footage in Pennsylvania can be challenging. Your attorney can subpoena the law enforcement agency that maintains specific traffic cameras to get the footage and strengthen your compensation claim. That being said, it is not guaranteed that a traffic camera will film your collision or that the footage will be archived. Because of that, Pennsylvania victims should call the police after a car accident and request access to local security cameras that may have filmed their collision.
Our Pennsylvania lawyers are dedicated to helping car accident victims get the justice they deserve. For a free case evaluation with the Philadelphia car accident attorneys at The Reiff Law Firm, call today at (215) 709-6940.
Can I Get Traffic Camera Footage of a Car Accident in Pennsylvania?
If your car accident was caught on tape by one of Pennsylvania’s traffic cameras, obtaining that video footage may be harder than you think. That’s why it’s wise to ask an attorney to help uncover and get traffic camera footage for your Pennsylvania car accident.
Even if a traffic camera filmed your car accident in Pennsylvania, that doesn’t mean it will be easy to get ahold of. It’s often unclear whether or not the agencies responsible for maintaining these cameras, usually local law enforcement agencies, archive or store the footage. This can make it even more difficult for victims to obtain traffic camera footage of a car accident in Pennsylvania.
If you believe a traffic camera filmed your collision, reach out to a Philadelphia car accident attorney. Your lawyer may have to file a subpoena to obtain copies of such a video. This can be a long and difficult process, hard for car accident victims to achieve without help from a skilled attorney.
How Can I Know if a Pennsylvania Traffic Camera Filmed My Car Accident?
It isn’t always clear whether or not a traffic camera filmed your car accident. However, if there is video footage of your collision, it can greatly support your compensation claim against a negligent driver. Because of that, it’s important for Pennsylvania victims to learn how they can know whether or not a traffic camera caught their collision on tape.
If you want to get some insight into whether or not a traffic camera filmed your Pennsylvania car accident, look around. Do you see red light cameras or speed cameras? Next, consider your location. Are you near a roadwork area? A busy highway? Near an intersection? Usually, traffic cameras like speed and red-light cameras are situated near such locations.
If you’re unable to evaluate your surroundings immediately after a car accident, that’s understandable. Simply inform your Reading car accident attorney of the collision’s location. Once you do, your lawyer can attempt to uncover any available traffic camera footage of your car accident.
Will a Traffic Camera Film My Pennsylvania Car Accident?
While having traffic camera footage of a car accident can be very helpful to Pennsylvania victims, it is not likely that it will exist. The circumstances of a car accident have to be very specific in order for Pennsylvania traffic cameras to film a collision.
The fact that your collision happened near an intersection or a speed camera doesn’t mean it will be filmed. Usually, these traffic cameras have to be triggered to operate. So, if a negligent driver was speeding past a speed camera and hit your car, it’s possible that the camera would have been triggered. Even so, speed cameras often only take photos of a speeding driver’s license plate. In some cases, depending on the direction a driver is moving in, speed cameras can also take short videos.
Red light cameras operate similarly, taking photos of a driver’s license plate and face. If your Pennsylvania car accident was caused by a negligent driver speeding through an intersection, a red-light camera might have captured the moment. But again, it isn’t very likely.
These cameras are often located in specific areas. If your Pennsylvania car accident happened on a small road or far from a popular intersection, it would be even less likely for a traffic camera to film the collision. Not to mention, it’s not guaranteed that local law enforcement will archive the footage if it exists. Generally, an accident’s location and circumstances are the defining factors in determining whether or not a traffic camera will film your car accident in Pennsylvania.
What Should I Do if There isn’t Traffic Camera Footage of My Pennsylvania Car Accident?
Because it is unlikely for traffic cameras to film your Pennsylvania car accident, you need to learn other ways to strengthen your claim against a negligent party. If you rely on traffic camera footage that doesn’t exist, you may be unable to recover compensatory damages in a Pennsylvania car accident lawsuit.
Even if you believe that a traffic camera filmed your Pennsylvania car accident, you should still call the police after a crash. It’s crucial to alert Pennsylvania law enforcement officials after a collision so that they can complete an accident report. This report will contain vital details, like eyewitness’ information, which your attorney can use to strengthen your claim against a negligent driver.
If there is no available traffic camera footage of your car accident, that doesn’t mean that another camera didn’t film your collision. It’s possible that a local business’ security cameras did catch your car accident on tape. Your West Chester car accident attorney can request video footage from security cameras to help prove a driver’s negligence in a lawsuit for compensatory damages.
Call Our Pennsylvania Attorneys if You Were Injured in a Car Accident
Our lawyers can help injured car accident victims obtain available traffic camera footage and hold a negligent driver accountable in a lawsuit. For a free case evaluation with the Bethlehem car accident attorneys at The Reiff Law Firm, call today at (215) 709-6940.
