Why a Dashcam Is Important
Car accidents can cause challenges in a variety of ways, from physical injuries to damage to your vehicle or legal issues arising over who was at fault for the crash. One device that has increased in popularity in recent years can be used to provide beneficial information about your accident—a dashcam.
Whether you were recently involved in an accident and need to know more about how you can use your dashcam footage or are considering installing a dashcam in your vehicle, it’s important to understand the pros and cons.
At the Law Offices of Stephen D. Walsh, you can receive the reliable legal guidance you need after being in an accident. For decades, we have been helping individuals and families navigate the difficult aftermath of car accidents and the injuries that can result from them.
If you want to know more about how your dashcam can be used after an accident or are thinking about getting a dashcam, we’re here to lead you in the right direction. We proudly serve clients throughout Essex County, Massachusetts, as well as Peabody, Danvers, Salem, and Beverly. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.
Can a Dashcam Provide Evidence?
Yes, a dashcam can be a tremendously valuable tool to provide evidence in your accident claim due to the fact that it gives a detailed, documented account of the crash. It is important, however, to know that the specifics of how a dashcam may be mounted in your vehicle vary in different states.
What Is a Dashcam?
A dashcam is a video camera that is mounted inside a vehicle, typically either on the dashboard or the inside of the windshield. While all states allow dashcams, only a few allow dashcams to be mounted on the windshield of the vehicle.
What Can It Capture?
A dashcam can record a variety of evidence. All dashcams will record visual evidence, but some types of dashcams can also record audio, utilize night vision technology to record at night, or even provide precise location data through the use of GPS.
How Is Footage Used as Evidence?
Not only does dashcam footage provide valuable and often indisputable evidence of the accident but it can also be a great asset in incidents of hit-and-run accidents, capturing the perpetrator’s vehicle make, model, or color, and sometimes the license plate.
Pros & Cons of Using a Dashcam
As with many types of evidence in a legal matter, there is a potential for dashcam footage to help or harm your case. While a dashcam recording can bolster your case, prove your account of the accident is true, and improve your chances of receiving compensation, there is also a certain level of risk involved when using your dashcam as evidence.
Just as the footage can be used to strengthen your case, the legal representation of the opposing party will take every opportunity to place some—or all—of the blame for the crash on you. If your dashcam footage provides even the slightest chance for the opposing counsel to argue that you were responsible, they will jump on it.
In the end, it will be up to you and your attorney to determine if using the footage captured by your dashcam will be beneficial enough to your case to submit it as evidence.
Massachusetts Dashcam Laws
In Massachusetts, you must mount the dashcam on the dashboard. The dashcam will begin recording when the vehicle is started, capture everything seen from the driver’s view, and store it electronically. Additionally, if your dashcam records sound, Massachusetts law requires you to get consent from everyone in the vehicle to record any audio.
Trust an Experienced Law Firm
Finding yourself embroiled in complicated legal matters after a car accident can make an already stressful situation even worse. Trying to find your way through such issues while also dealing with repairing or replacing your vehicle, communicating with insurance providers, and recovering from potential injuries aren’t things anyone should be forced to handle on their own. When you work with a law firm with extensive experience with car accident claims, it will take some of the burden off your shoulders and give you confidence that your case is in the hands of trained professionals.
Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about going through this difficult experience alone. Our team is ready to help you every step of the way. If you were involved in a car accident—with or without a dashcam—and you are in need of legal representation to protect your rights and pursue a favorable outcome, you can trust us for the knowledgeable guidance you need.
At the Law Offices of Stephen D. Walsh, we serve clients' needs in Essex County, Massachusetts, and throughout the surrounding areas of Beverly, Salem, Danvers, and Peabody. Reach out to our team today to talk about your case.