When filing a claim for a car accident, video of the crash can be some of the best evidence there is. Not only does this help show what happened but it also backs up your claims and shows that, whether you are discussing who caused the crash or what injuries you suffered, you are a credible witness. But getting footage of a car accident in Atlanta is not always easy.
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s public traffic cameras do not record footage. While live footage can be viewed online, you cannot get copies of this footage later, and the videos are not saved or stored. However, there may be third parties that provide footage, and car dashcams, store and home security cameras, and people at the scene might have recorded the accident. There are a few ways to go about getting copies of this footage, potentially helping with your case.
For help after a traffic accident in Atlanta, reach out to Howe Law’s Atlanta car accident attorneys at (844) 876-4357.
Where to View Atlanta Traffic Camera Footage
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) provides footage of traffic cameras in the Atlanta area online. The Fulton County website also provides lists of traffic cameras in the area. However, these cameras only provide live footage. Officials can use them to monitor traffic flows and potentially change traffic lights or send out officers to manage traffic, and people can go on the website to see how traffic looks on a route they plan to take. But none of this footage is recorded or stored.
Getting Traffic Camera Footage from GDOT in Atlanta
Because this traffic camera footage is not recorded or stored, you cannot get a copy of it from GDOT, from the City of Atlanta, or from Fulton County. That means that no matter what freedom of information requests or calls to GDOT you make, there simply is no footage to obtain.
This means that after a car accident, you cannot rely on GDOT to have footage of the accident – but it doesn’t mean there isn’t footage somewhere. There are plenty of alternative ways to find video of an accident from other sources.
Third-Party Traffic Camera Resources in Atlanta for Car Accidents
There are third-party websites that purport to record and store traffic camera footage so that people can access this footage and use it when proving car accident claims. However, these companies are not always trustworthy, and it is important to talk to our Atlanta car accident lawyers and properly vet any sources you use for evidence before paying for a service like this.
Aside from companies like this, there are also organizations that reach out to local businesses and homeowners to create databases of camera locations so that, in the event of a crime or an accident, people can look through this resource to see if there were any nearby cameras that might have caught the events on video. Our lawyers can reach out to organizations like these to see if there might be footage available from various sources.
Other Sources of Car Accident Video in Atlanta Car Accident Cases
Even though you cannot get local traffic camera video to use in a car accident case, there might be other sources of video to turn to:
Store Security Cameras
Stores have been using security systems that include cameras for decades. Some of these systems might be a bit antiquated and might still use videotapes or cassettes, but many stores today have digital security camera systems that can produce a disc or a file they can send you to use as evidence in your case.
Often, getting footage for a car accident case is as simple as asking the store owner to provide you with the footage. After a crash, it can be incredibly helpful to go to the scene, look for stores near the accident scene, and ask the workers if they have a security camera outside. If they are reluctant to provide you with information or footage, our lawyers can send demand letters asking them to preserve the footage for trial or even ask the court to subpoena the footage if we act quickly.
Home Security Cameras
Using doorbell security cameras and other security cameras in your home is becoming more and more popular across the country. Again, you or our Atlanta personal injury attorneys can simply ask Atlanta homeowners near the accident scene if they happen to have a camera that caught the accident. You can also simply go to the scene and look around to see if you spot any doorbell cameras or other security cameras pointed at the accident scene.
ATM Cameras
It might not be a commonly known fact that most ATMs have a security camera on them. While this camera is usually pointed up at the user of the ATM and provides a limited view of the area in front of the ATM, it could still provide footage of the accident. Getting camera footage from a bank or ATM company might be difficult if they ask for a court order, but letters from our Georgia personal injury attorneys might be sufficient to convince them to let us use their footage.
Bystander Video
Today, nearly everyone has a camera in their pocket on their cell phone. People often have the instinct to pull out their phones and take pictures or videos whenever something big or dangerous happens. Talking to the witnesses and bystanders near an accident scene might help you find someone who recorded the accident – or at least the aftermath of the crash.
Dashcams
Just as home security cameras have grown in popularity, so have dashcams. If you, the defendant, or another driver in the area caught the accident on their dashcam, they should come forward to tell the police or the parties that this footage exists. If they do, we can follow up with them to get a copy of the video for your case.
Call Our Atlanta Car Accident Lawyers Today
If you were involved in a car crash, call (844) 876-4357 for a free case assessment with Howe Law’s Georgia car accident attorneys.
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