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Are photos of the accident scene helpful?

A: Absolutely.  Obviously, if you’re in the hospital, you’re not going to go back to the scene of the accident to take pictures.  That can usually wait.  But if you have a friend or relative that is able to go to the scene of the accident, take an entire roll of photos.

Tips on taking photos:

1. Take the pictures from every possible angle in a 360 degree circle.
2. Take photos from high up to get a high view, and
3. Take photos from low down, to get a ‘bird’s eye’ view of the scene.
4. Make sure that when you look through the viewfinder you try to get in the street sign or traffic light involved.
5. You must get a few wide shots to show where the location was in relation to other cars and roads.  Simply getting a photo of a traffic light doesn’t help since it could be any traffic light, at any intersection.
6. If possible, make sure your camera as the date imprinted with the date the photo was taken.  If your camera does not have this function, when you develop the photos, make sure you write the date the photos were taken ON THE BACK OF THE PHOTOS.  PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU USE A BALL POINT PEN, OR A PERMANENT MARKER.  You’d be surprised how many people use markers or pens that smudge and ruin the photo underneath with these pens or markers.
7. If you are using a digital camera, DO NOT MAKE ANY ALTERATIONS TO THE PHOTOGRAPH WHEN YOU PRINT IT OUT!  Attach a note with the digital prints indicating the date the photos were taken, by whom, the type of camera, and the type of storage media you used (smart card, memory stick, etc.)  AGAIN, I CANNOT STRESS IT ENOUGH – DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES OR ALTERATIONS TO YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS OF ANY ACCIDENT SCENE.  By following that simple instruction, you will save yourself considerable distress and agony, not to mention your credibility that could arise if you played around with the photograph in your digital editing program.
   

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