Can Video Surveillance Prove Negligence in a Truck Accident Case?
When a truck accident occurs, involved parties are likely to suffer substantial damages, such as catastrophic injuries, emotional trauma, and financial losses. It is important that the person or party who caused the accident is held liable for accident losses. Unfortunately, proving liability for a truck accident is not always easy.
Truck accident lawyers at Moody Law work alongside accident investigators to collect the evidence necessary to prove liability for a collision, which may include video surveillance. Here we discuss how video surveillance can prove negligence in a truck accident case, so that our Lakeland, FL, and Winter Haven, FL, clients can be justly compensated for accident damages.
Is Video Surveillance Admissible as Evidence?
Video cameras are almost everywhere. Most businesses and private properties have security cameras, many vehicles have accident-recording devices, numerous intersections have cameras, and nearly everyone has a cell phone with video capabilities. Since cameras are so widespread, the chance of there being surveillance footage of a truck accident is pretty high.
This leads to the question, “is video surveillance footage admissible as evidence in court”? As long as video footage is obtained legally and is authenticated by proper parties, it is admissible. Not only that, video surveillance is widely considered one of the strongest types of evidence in a civil case.
How Can Video Surveillance Support a Liability Claim?
Video surveillance helps prove or support a liability claim in a truck accident case by showing the court what happened during a truck accident, or what happened leading up to a truck accident. Depending on what it is that caused the accident, video footage can establish liability by showing acts of negligence, such as:
- A driver speeding or operating their vehicle erratically
- A driver running a red light or stop sign
- A driver drinking alcohol prior to or while operating their vehicle
- A driver using a cell phone while driving
- A truck driver operating a commercial vehicle beyond hours of service regulations
Obtaining Video Footage
Surveillance footage can be a powerful source of evidence in a truck accident case, but obtaining video footage is not always easy. First, areas surrounding the accident need to be surveyed to determine if any cameras are present. Even if video sources are found, the window to obtain footage is often limited. Most video systems record on a loop and erase older footage to make room for newer video. Because of this, video footage may be deleted for good in as little as 72 hours (or less) following a crash.
The best way to obtain video footage quickly, and ensure that surveillance is collected correctly, is to work with a truck accident lawyer. Our lawyers work on behalf of our Lakeland clients to obtain video footage, and any other sources of evidence, while they focus on recovering from accident injuries.
Get in Touch
If you have been injured in a truck accident, video surveillance could be used to prove liability so that you can be justly compensated for damages, but it is important to act quickly. To schedule a personal consultation at Moody Law, contact our law firm online, or call (863) 284-9090.