Using Traffic Cameras in Car Accident Cases in Charlotte

More and more visual evidence of an accident is becoming available to show how accidents happen. Some of the evidence comes from dashcams in one or more vehicles involved in the accident. Witnesses in other vehicles, nearby residences, and commercial locations may also have security video capturing the accident.

Web cameras used to monitor traffic throughout Charlotte are another potential source of visual evidence of how accidents happen. Traffic cameras are posted at busy intersections and other locations where traffic is likely heavy or where accidents often occur.

How traffic cameras help to show fault when car accidents happen

Camera evidence can show whether a driver was at fault and whether the victim may have been comparatively negligent. Traffic cameras can provide evidence of the layout of the intersection or road where an accident happens, the position of the vehicles before the collision, and the path of the vehicles during the accident, including immediately before and after the impact. They can help show the sight lines, the shoulders of the road, and the weather conditions at the time of the accident.

Obtaining the traffic camera footage

Our Charlotte car accident lawyers understand how to use the legal process to obtain any traffic camera or visual evidence. We understand who controls the traffic cameras, such as a governmental entity or agency or a private company, and who to formally ask for approval to view the video of the intersection and/or roads at the time of the collision. Because there is often a limited amount of time before footage is destroyed or overwritten, time is of the essence when trying to preserve this evidence.

Some of the steps involved in obtaining traffic camera footage are:

• Obtaining the police accident report. This report will show the precise location of the accident and help identify what cameras may have been in use at the time of the accident.
• Identifying who maintains the camera footage. Owners of traffic camera footage likely include the North Carolina Department of Transportation or a local law enforcement agency.
• Filing a formal request. Our Charlotte car accident lawyers will file a Freedom of Information Act (FOYA) request. The owner of the footage may have standard procedures for submitting requests, which we can use as soon as we meet with you.
• Reviewing the footage. The experts we work with (such as traffic reconstruction experts) can review the footage to be sure that it captures all or even a part of your accident.
• Preserving the footage. We can take steps to make copies of the relevant footage and comply with the court rules for preserving the footage and submitting it in court.

Visual evidence is useful to persuade insurance companies that their client is liable for your accident. Camera evidence is also useful to persuade jurors that another driver is liable for your injuries or the death of a loved one.

Cameras at intersections in Charlotte continually record footage. Camera evidence owned or managed by the state or city of Charlotte is persuasive because it is unbiased, can corroborate your testimony or the testimony of other witnesses, and can help show if another driver violates traffic laws, such as driving through a red light.

There are also many private companies, such as weather companies and news stations, that have access to traffic cameras throughout Charlotte, North Carolina.

Some various websites and apps show where there are traffic cameras throughout Charlotte.

Trucker Guide provides live views throughout Charlotte.

Weatherbug shows traffic throughout Charlotte.

WBTV has live cameras at various intersections, including the following:

• US 74 W at MM 264
• US 74 W at MM 264
• I-485 South of Brookshire Blvd.
• I-485 South of Brookshire Blvd.
• I-85 NB Ramps at NC 273
• I-85 NB Ramps at NC 273
• I-85 SB at MM 55.15
• I-85 SB at MM 55.15
• I-77 at Nations Ford Rd
• I-77 at Nations Ford Rd
• I-77 at West Blvd.
• I-77 at West Blvd.
• I-485 North of Beatties Ford Road
• I-485 North of Beatties Ford Road
• I-85 at I-485 South
• I-85 at Concord Mills Boulevard=

Dashcam footage

Another type of camera evidence is dashcam footage. This is visual evidence from the vehicle’s viewpoint where the dashcam is located. In addition to providing a general view of an accident, like traffic camera evidence, dashcam video shows essentially what the driver of the car (where the dashcam is located) is seeing before and at the time of the accident.

Contact our Charlotte attorneys today

Call our Charlotte car accident lawyers today if you or a loved one was involved in a car accident where traffic cameras may have been in use. We can explain what visual evidence, such as photographs and videos, can be used to show another driver’s negligence. Contact Price, Petho & Associates to schedule a free consultation.