Dash cameras are becoming increasingly popular as drivers seek to protect themselves in the event of an accident. From a personal injury attorney’s perspective, there are pros and cons to installing a dash camera in your vehicle. Let's examine why dash cameras are so valuable, what their drawbacks are, and, ultimately, how they can help keep you safe on the roads.
Why Use Dash Cameras?
A main reason drivers choose to use dash cameras is for protection against fraudulent claims. Having a video record of what happened during an accident can be extremely helpful when it comes time to settle out-of-court or in court. Video evidence is accepted by insurance companies and legal systems alike as something that helps fairly determine who is at fault. In addition, if you ever need to prove that someone else was at fault for an accident you were involved in, having video evidence will make the process much easier.
5 Pros of Using Dash Cameras
Objective evidence: Dash cameras provide objective and unbiased evidence of what actually happened in the event of a car accident. This can be especially helpful in cases where liability is disputed and the cause of the accident is unclear.
Increased credibility: Dash camera footage can serve as powerful evidence in court, as it is more reliable than testimony from witnesses or drivers who may have conflicting opinions about what happened.
Protection against false claims: Dash cameras can also protect drivers from false claims made by other drivers involved in an accident. By having a recording of the event, it becomes easier to refute any false allegations made against you.
Improved settlement negotiations: Dash camera footage can also be used to support settlement negotiations, as it provides clear evidence of the events leading up to the accident. This can often lead to a faster and more favorable resolution for your client.
The main drawback of using dash cameras is that they may not capture all angles of an accident due to their limited field of view; however, some modern dash cams have wide-angle lenses which increase the likelihood of capturing all angles of an incident. In addition, if your car gets into any sort of collision while the camera is recording, it could potentially become damaged or destroyed and render any footage captured unusable. Finally, some people may be concerned about their privacy if they have a dash camera installed in their car. While this isn’t necessarily an issue with most models (many come with features like motion detection or cloud storage for extra security), it should still be taken into consideration before investing in one.
5 Cons of Using Dash Cameras
Privacy concerns: Dash cameras can capture audio and video footage of not only the driver, but also passengers and anyone else who is in the car. This can raise privacy concerns, especially if the footage is used in court.
Technical difficulties: Dash cameras are electronic devices and can experience technical difficulties such as failed recordings, software malfunctions, and other issues. This can compromise the reliability of the footage and may limit its usefulness as evidence in court.
Admissibility issues: In some jurisdictions, there may be rules about what types of evidence are admissible in court, and dash camera footage may not always be acceptable. This can limit the usefulness of the footage in court and may result in it being excluded from consideration.
Cost: Dash cameras can be expensive, and there is a cost associated with purchasing, installing, and maintaining them. This may not be feasible for all personal injury law firms, especially those with limited resources.
Time consumption: Reviewing dash camera footage can also be time-consuming, especially if the footage is lengthy or contains a large number of clips. This can take away time from other tasks that personal injury attorneys need to complete in order to build a strong case for their clients.
In conclusion, while there are some drawbacks to using dash cameras (such as potentially limited coverage), these devices offer many benefits such as providing evidence for insurance claims or lawsuits and deterring criminal activity on the roads.
Contact Mory & Colliersmith if you have any questions. (502) 212-4333