The events following a car accident can be very crucial. What you do afterwards can make or break your case should you decide to pursue a legal action in court.

While your primary concern after a car accident should be your safety and well-being, the next logical priority are your legal rights. If you have been wronged, it is only just that you receive some form of recompense for the loss or harm you suffered.

But in most cases, recovery of damages can become a lengthy and protracted legal battle. Without evidence in support of your cause of action, your lawsuit will be pointless, incapable of producing the desired outcome.

Which is why, writing down notes following a car accident is a proven useful device in preserving in your mind as much details of the unfortunate event. In support of your written accounts are photos.

What better way to show the extent of the damage to the court or the insurance provider than using pictures. Visual images can eliminate any doubt as to your claim of damages sustained. Thus, should the matter proceed in a legal battle, it’s a lot easier to demonstrate the harm done by the erring driver.

In this article, we offer pointers on how to effectively take photos at the scene of the car accident.

Preserving the Evidence

Photos are very effective minimizing disputes on facts relating to the scene of the accident. By taking images, you preserve the evidence, which is crucial in support of your legal claims. Even a quick glance of the photos can give its viewers a depiction of what happened. In turn, these images can give an impression of who was at fault and what is the extent of the damage.

Taking Effective Pictures

Photos are pieces of evidence, which may be given greater weight in legal disputes involving car accidents. Thus, it is critical that you take quality photos of the scene of the accident. Make sure the images reflect proper context and accurate details. Get pictures from every angle possible, highlighting the damaged areas.

General View of the Scene of the Car Accident

First off, take pictures that depict a general view of the accident. Without going into the details, obtain multiple shots from various angles. Begin by including all the vehicles directly in contact with your car. Then take a snapshot of each of those vehicles along with your vehicle.

When shooting a photo of these cars, make sure you get all the involved vehicles in the frame relative to the position of your car. Take pictures from various angles to demonstrate each car’s proximity to other cars involved.

Traffic Lights, Road Signs, and Weather Conditions

If the accident occurred near a traffic light or road signs, take photos of these fixtures in relation to the vehicles. Should there be any signs, posts, guardrails, or similar stationary objects that were damaged on the occasion of the car accident, you should get photos of them too.

Weather conditions can also play a factor in car accidents. So if rain or snow contributed to the unfortunate occurrence, it’s best to take photos of the state of the atmosphere at that time.

If there are any, get shots of skid marks, roadside debris, and other signs of the accidents within the immediate vicinity.

Detailed Images of the Damage, License Plates, Etc.

Get close-up shots of the scratches, dents, and broken glasses of the vehicles. Whenever permitted, take photos of the interior as well, if there are anything damaged.

For proper identification of the vehicles, take snapshots of their license plates as well as the insurance cards of the other drivers.

Injuries

Photos of your injuries are the among the best proof of what you sustained as a result of the car accident. However, as a matter of propriety and civility, please refrain from taking photos of the injured people, unless they themselves permitted you to do so. Be respectful of other people’s privacy.

Seek Legal Representation

If you’re looking to explore your legal options, contact a car accident attorney.

Want to have your case reviewed by a highly experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney? Get in touch with Dan Lovell of Empire Law Group.

The post Tips for Taking Photos Following a Car Accident appeared first on Empire Law Group, Las Vegas car accident attorney Dan J. Lovell.

Hit and Run

Running away from a scene of a vehicular accident may be a means to avoid liabilities. Only if you will not be caught. Otherwise, you just caused more trouble to yourself.

But not only it is morally wrong, it is illegal too. Every person has the legal duty to help another person in distress.

For the victim, hit and run posed difficulty in seeking redress against the erring party. Hitting someone or someone else’s property is already a legal wrong. Running away from the scene to avoid the consequence adds insult to the injury. Historically, hit and run has been tagged as a menace to the administration of justice. Thereby, elevating the status of this legal wrong higher from a mere act of civil negligence.

In some states, hit and run incidents are criminalized. The act is punishable by imprisonment on top of liabilities for damages. Other states take running as an aggravating circumstance indicative of bad faith. Thereby, it justifies higher penalties and stiffer monetary indemnifications. Thus, the award would include moral and temperate damages on top of actual damages.

The Norms of Conduct in a Vehicular Accident

There are accepted norms which most states share. Primarily, parties to the accident are obligated to not abandon the other party in an accident. Furthermore, they are also obligated to help a party who needs immediate medical attention. This is the foremost of all principles. Other norms are as follows:

As soon as practicable, stop your vehicle and do not move anything.
Contact traffic authorities to document the scene of the vehicular accident.
Whenever practicable, speak with other party and exchange contact and insurance information.
Whenever practicable, also have personal documentation of the accident. Take pictures and know the names and contact details of the people around who may have witnessed the crash.

Collision of Unattended Vehicle or Things.

There are scenarios when someone hits an unattended vehicle or thing. When waiting for the owner to return is not practicable, the erring party may leave; provided, however, that he takes note of the identity of the damaged property. He should also leave a note containing his contact details. But that is only the bare minimum. This is mostly applicable if the accident only results in minor damage to property. Otherwise, it is best if he reports the incident to the authorities and has the accident documented before he leaves the scene.

Instances When Running is Permitted

Safety to one’s life is the paramount consideration in almost all circumstances. This is a basic principle. This includes being involved in a vehicular accident. Whenever there is a likely threat to one’s life, he may run from it. In such situation, one is permitted to run from the scene of a vehicular accident.

Parties involved in a vehicular accident are obligated to report the incident to the authorities. The reason is not only legal but also practical. One may use the report to process insurance claim, even if there is no case filed in court. The report will form part of road accident and safety statistics. These statistics may be used as bases for safety innovations. Moreover, it is best to speak with an attorney following or immediately after a vehicular accident. Your attorney will help defend your interest and mitigate exposure to liabilities arising from the accident.

The post Hit and Run. What to do appeared first on Empire Law Group, Las Vegas car accident attorney Dan J. Lovell.

Running away from a scene of a vehicular accident may be a means to avoid liabilities. Only if you will not be caught. Otherwise, you just caused more trouble to yourself.

Hit and Run Accident Attorney Dan Lovell of Empire Law group can represent you if you have been the victim of a hit and run accident. Pedestrians and cyclists are at high risk on roadways, crosswalks and sidewalks. Get legal representation today from a Las Vegas Attorney.

But not only it is morally wrong, it is illegal too. Every person has the legal duty to help another person in distress.

For the victim, hit and run posed difficulty in seeking redress against the erring party. Hitting someone or someone else’s property is already a legal wrong. Running away from the scene to avoid the consequence adds insult to the injury. Historically, hit and run has been tagged as a menace to the administration of justice. Thereby, elevating the status of this legal wrong higher from a mere act of civil negligence.

In some states, hit and run incidents are criminalized. The act is punishable by imprisonment on top of liabilities for damages.  Other states take running as an aggravating circumstance indicative of bad faith. Thereby, it justifies higher penalties and stiffer monetary indemnifications. Thus, the award would include moral and temperate damages on top of actual damages.

The Norms of Conduct in a Vehicular Accident

There are accepted norms which most states share. Primarily, parties to the accident are obligated to not abandon the other party in an accident. Furthermore, they are also obligated to help a party who needs immediate medical attention. This is the foremost of all principles. Other norms are as follows:

• As soon as practicable, stop your vehicle and do not move anything.
• Contact traffic authorities to document the scene of the vehicular accident.
• Whenever practicable, speak with other party and exchange contact and insurance information.
• Whenever practicable, also have personal documentation of the accident. Take pictures and know the names and contact details of the people around who may have witnessed the crash.

Collision of Unattended Vehicle or Things.

There are scenarios when someone hits an unattended vehicle or thing. When waiting for the owner to return is not practicable, the erring party may leave; provided, however, that he takes note of the identity of the damaged property. He should also leave a note containing his contact details. But that is only the bare minimum. This is mostly applicable if the accident only results in minor damage to property. Otherwise, it is best if he reports the incident to the authorities and has the accident documented before he leaves the scene.

Instances When Running is Permitted

Safety to one’s life is the paramount consideration in almost all circumstances. This is a basic principle. This includes being involved in a vehicular accident. Whenever there is a likely threat to one’s life, he may run from it. In such situation, one is permitted to run from the scene of a vehicular accident.

Parties involved in a vehicular accident are obligated to report the incident to the authorities. The reason is not only legal but also practical. One may use the report to process insurance claim, even if there is no case filed in court. The report will form part of road accident and safety statistics. These statistics may be used as bases for safety innovations. Moreover, it is best to speak with an attorney following or immediately after a vehicular accident. Your attorney will help defend your interest and mitigate exposure to liabilities arising from the accident.

The post Hit and Run appeared first on Empire Law Group, Las Vegas car accident attorney Dan J. Lovell.