A collision between two vehicles can result in serious damage to both the cars and the passengers inside them. Accident victims can seek financial compensation for any damages sustained in an auto accident by filing a personal injury case in court.

Evidence must be presented in court that will support your claim if you decide to sue the other driver involved in your accident. Photographs are a great type of evidence that can establish the facts surrounding your accident and help a judge and jury visualize the events leading up to the accident so that they can assign fault.

The most compelling photographs are those taken right after an accident occurs. Be sure that you capture these three types of photographs after a collision so that your attorney will have ample evidence to work with when filing your personal injury case.

1. Damage to Vehicles

Snapping some photographs of the damage sustained by the vehicles involved in an accident can help you gather useful evidence. You want to take photographs of your vehicle as a whole, as well as close-up photographs that will show detailed evidence of damage inflicted upon your vehicle.

It's important that you photograph not only your own vehicle but any other cars involved in the accident as well. Your attorney can use these photographs to show how the collision occurred and prove which driver caused the accident.

A jury will be able to use your photographs to evaluate the location and severity of damage to the vehicles involved in the crash as they determine how much financial compensation you are entitled to receive.

2. Evidence at the Scene

A lot of evidence exists at the scene of an auto accident, but much of this evidence is lost when crews clean up the roadways after the accident has been cleared.

You should immediately use your camera to take photos of evidence around the site of your accident. This evidence can include obstructions in the roadway, shattered glass, and the condition of the roadway.

Pay close attention to any skid marks that are present at the scene of the accident. Photograph these skid marks from multiple angles, and place a small object next to the skid marks to document their size.

A series of skid marks can be used by experts to determine how fast a driver was traveling and when they applied the brakes. This evidence can be useful in proving fault when you take your auto accident case to court.

3. Environmental Surroundings

In addition to documenting the accident with your camera, you should take photographs of the surrounding environment immediately following your involvement in an accident.

It can be beneficial to document any stop, yield, or slow road signs in the immediate area so your attorney can determine if traffic laws were obeyed. Your photographs will also document whether your accident occurred near an intersection or merge point.

A jury will not visit the place where your collision occurred, so multiple photographs of the surrounding environment shot from varying angles and distances can help jurors visually recreate your accident during a trial.

4. Injuries

All injuries sustained in an auto accident should be documented through photographs before you receive treatment from a medical professional. The raw images of your injuries can prove to be powerful evidence when you are trying to maximize your financial compensation in court.

Any injury, no matter how minor it may seem, should be photographed. This includes injuries to both you and your passengers, as well as the other driver's injuries.

Your attorney will be able to use the photographs to compare the severity of the injuries, helping you establish your need for financial compensation as a result of your auto accident.

For more information, contact an auto accident attorney service like David Helfand PA.