Author: Shelby Benavidez  

Contributing Attorney:  Jason Ferguson, attorney 

Table of contents

TL;DR: What You Should Know About Dashcams After a Crash  

  • A dashcam for cars can capture important evidence before, during, and after a crash.  
  • Dashcam footage may help prove who caused the accident.  
  • Clear video can strengthen your case when dealing with insurance companies.  
  • Save and back up your dashcam footage quickly so it isn’t overwritten or lost.  
  • A car accident lawyer can review the footage and determine how it may help your claim.  

Getting in a car accident is something no one ever wants to experience. Having to prove what happened afterward can make an already overwhelming situation even more stressful.  

That’s where a dashcam for your car can make a difference.  

Dashcam footage can show what happened before, during, and after a crash, giving you a clearer picture of how the collision happened. If another driver caused the crash, that footage can help back up your side of the story and become an important piece of evidence in your personal injury claim. 

Here’s what a dashcam can capture, what to look for when choosing one, and how a personal injury lawyer may use the footage after a car accident.  

What Is a Dashcam for Cars?  

A dashcam for cars is a small camera typically mounted to a vehicle’s dashboard or windshield. It continuously records the road while you drive, essentially giving you a second set of eyes behind the wheel.  

Depending on the model, a car dashcam can capture traffic behind your vehicle, the inside of your car, audio, your speed or location, and even activity around your car while it’s parked. 

That footage can be especially helpful after a crash because you don’t have to rely solely on what you or the other driver remember. Your dashcam may have caught another driver running a red light, speeding, changing lanes too quickly, or pulling out in front of you. It can also show things like bad weather, heavy traffic, or a malfunctioning traffic light that may have played a role in the crash.  

And if you’re involved in a hit-and-run accident, your footage could capture their vehicle, license plate, or other details that may help law enforcement track them down. 

Can Dashcam Footage Prove Who Caused a Car Accident?  

When drivers disagree about who caused the car accident, dashcam footage can cut through the “he said, she said” by showing what actually happened. 

For example, if both drivers claim they had a green light, dashcam footage would show the traffic signal moments before the crash. That same footage can also strengthen your position when dealing with the insurance company. When there’s video showing how the crash happened, it becomes much harder for an adjuster or the other driver to challenge your story. 

Still, dashcam footage is only one piece of your claim and usually doesn’t determine liability on its own. Police reports, witness statements, photos, other available video, and additional evidence can all help piece together how the crash occurred and who was responsible. 

What Should You Look for in a Dashcam for Your Car?  

1. High-Quality Video  

Choose a dashcam with enough resolution to capture important details. Clear footage may make it easier to identify license plates, traffic signals, road signs, vehicles, and other evidence after a collision.  

2. Wide-Angle Recording  

A wide-angle lens captures more of the road around you, including vehicles approaching from nearby lanes or intersections. 

3. Front and Rear Cameras  

A front-facing camera is great until you’re hit from behind. A front and rear dashcam can provide additional evidence, particularly in rear-end crashes or collisions involving multiple vehicles.  

4. Automatic or Impact-Activated Recording  

Some dashcams automatically begin recording when you start driving. Others have sensors that detect sudden impacts and automatically save the associated footage.  

5. Audio Recording  

Some dashcams record audio in addition to video. Depending on the circumstances, audio could provide additional information about what happened during or immediately after a collision.  

6. Loop Recording and Storage  

Many dashcams use loop recording, meaning older video is eventually overwritten as new footage is recorded, which makes it extremely important to save your dashcam footage as soon as possible after a car accident. 

What Should You Do With Dashcam Footage After a Car Accident?  

After a car accident, save the dashcam footage as soon as possible. Some dashcams record over older footage, so you don’t want to wait and risk losing it. Download it to your computer and don’t edit it or post it on social media while your case is active. Provide a copy to your attorney so they can review it. 

Your dashcam may not be the only camera that caught the crash, so it’s important to act quickly to preserve footage from other drivers, nearby businesses, homes, traffic cameras, or commercial vehicles before it’s deleted. 

Can Dashcam Footage Hurt Your Personal Injury Case?  

A dashcam can work against you if you contributed to the crash. The camera simply records what happened regardless of who was at fault. So, if you were speeding, following too closely, or distracted, the insurance company would probably try to use that against you. But that unbiased perspective is also what makes dashcam footage so useful. 

Never delete footage because you think it could hurt your case. Preserve it and let your personal injury lawyer review it before deciding how it should be used. 

How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Use Dashcam Footage?  

Having video of your crash is valuable, but understanding how that footage fits into the larger picture of your claim is just as important. A personal injury lawyer can review your dashcam footage to see what it captured and how it fits into the rest of your case. They can also preserve the original video before it gets accidentally deleted or overwritten and look for other footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, homes, commercial vehicles, or other drivers.  

If you were injured in a car accident and have dashcam footage or believe another camera caught the crash, contact a qualified car accident attorney as soon as possible to help preserve the evidence before it’s lost.