Car accidents are so typical that the authorities expect them to happen. As such, traffic cameras can be found along our state’s roads and highways to record when crashes occur. Getting this footage might make or break a car accident lawsuit.
How we obtain videos from traffic cameras often depends on who is in charge. Governmental entities like the Department of Transportation operate some cameras. Others might be owned by other entities or privately owned. Traffic cameras are often found in places like toll booths, bridges, and at various intervals along certain highways. You never know if a camera is watching. We must move fast to get video footage because it could easily be erased or deleted. If we believe someone has intentionally deleted video footage, we can take legal action against them. Video footage of an accident is the kind of evidence that makes or breaks a lawsuit. It can show us exactly how the crash happened. There is often little room for defendants to refute video footage of a crash.
Contact our Dallas car accident attorneys at The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. for a free case review by calling (817) 476-1797.
Obtaining Video Footage of Your Car Accident From Texas Traffic Cameras
If you were involved in a car accident, speak to an attorney about your case as soon as possible. Your first priority should be getting emergency help. Once you have seen a doctor and talked to the police, call a lawyer. Once they know where your accident occurred, your attorney can begin searching for video footage almost immediately.
How our Texas car accident lawyers might obtain videos from traffic cameras depends on who owns the camera. Government entities like the Texas Department of Transportation own and operate many cameras. Many state highways are dotted with traffic cameras, and you never know where one might be. Your lawyer can work with TxDOT to determine if a camera was in the vicinity of your accident. If there was indeed a camera, we can begin working on getting copies of the footage.
The state generally provides footage when necessary. We might need to formally request video footage, including details about the crash’s time, date, and location.
Some cameras are privately owned. For example, someone might mount a camera on their private property. Your attorney can help you scan the area around your crash for private homes and businesses that might have cameras. If we find one, we can ask the owner for footage. If the owner refuses, we can get a subpoena for the video footage.
Where Can You Find Traffic Cameras on the Roads and Highways of Texas?
Traffic cameras are found in all sorts of places along the highways and roads of Texas. Again, some cameras are owned by governmental entities, while private people or businesses own others. We can investigate these areas if they were near your crash.
Bridges often have cameras at both ends and along the middle. Depending on how long the bridge is, numerous cameras might record traffic. Depending on where the bridge is, different authorities might be in charge. For example, TxDOT might own the cameras in some cases. In others, a governmental port authority might be in charge of the bridge and own the cameras.
Toll booths also often have cameras. These cameras are usually meant to record people who might blow through a toll without paying, but they might also record accidents. Again, who owns the toll booths depends on where they are located. Talk to your lawyer if your accident happened near a toll location.
Traffic cameras can often be found at various intervals along highways. They are often found where traffic tends to be busier, and accidents are more common. You might also find cameras in busy intersections and red lights.
The Risk of Deleting or Erasing Footage From Traffic Cameras in Texas
While traffic camera videos can make for incredibly powerful evidence, there is one fatal flaw to watch out for. Videos can be quickly and easily deleted or erased. In many cases, video footage of an accident is deleted automatically. Security systems sometimes automatically delete video footage after so many days if nobody saves it. We must move as fast as possible if we know that traffic cameras were near your accident.
How long someone holds onto footage before deleting it may vary depending on who owns the cameras. Traffic cameras owned by the government are arguably more reliable. The government is used to preserving evidence, so videos are not erased so quickly. Even so, requesting video footage as soon as possible after a crash is wise.
What do we do if video evidence is deleted? If we have other strong evidence, all hope is not lost. We might still build a strong case without the video footage. In that case, it might be best to cut our losses and move on with the case. However, erased digital files are often not gone for good. Deleted files can sometimes be recovered.
If videos are deleted intentionally to deprive you of evidence, we can take legal action against the party who deleted them. This might be an issue when a private person or business owns the camera and does not want to get involved, so they delete the evidence.
The Power of Evidence From Texas Traffic Cameras in Car Accident Cases
Videos from traffic cameras can be incredibly powerful in a courtroom. They often offer a bird’s-eye view of accidents. They might show the accident from a vantage point that no eyewitness could have seen. This is truly unique evidence.
It can also be hard to refute. If the video shows the defendant causing the crash, it might be incredibly difficult for them to refute liability. Video evidence is more concrete than witness testimony, as testimony is based on memory, which is inherently flawed.
We can often use traffic camera footage to leverage good settlements. If the defendant knows they were caught on camera, they might offer a generous settlement to avoid embarrassment in court.
Contact Our Texas Car Accident Lawyers Now to Start Looking for Traffic Camera Footage
Contact our Fort Worth car accident attorneys at The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. for a free case review by calling (817) 476-1797.