6 Ways Dashcam and Traffic Camera Footage Can Help Your Case, With Guidance From The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone
After a crash, the two drivers’ stories often diverge by the time insurers call. Video doesn’t have that problem. Between dashcams, business security systems, police body cameras, and cameras on buses, much of Hudson County is on camera. Here are six ways video can strengthen a New Jersey injury claim and how to get it before it disappears, followed by local law offices, starting with The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone.
How can video footage help a New Jersey car accident claim?
1. Can footage prove who had the right of way?
Often, yes. A clip showing the signal color or a driver rolling through a stop sign can settle a fault dispute that witness statements never will. That matters because of New Jersey’s comparative negligence law, N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1. It reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars it above 50 percent.
2. Does video help when the other driver changes their story?
It does. A driver who apologized at the scene may tell their insurer a week later that you stopped short. Dashcam footage, or a police body camera recording of what each driver said at the scene, locks the account in place. New Jersey requires most patrol officers to wear body-worn cameras, and state law generally requires departments to keep those recordings for at least 180 days.
3. Can video show speeding or distraction?
Sometimes. Footage from a fixed camera lets an accident reconstruction expert estimate speed by measuring how far a vehicle travels between frames. Video from inside a rideshare or commercial vehicle may show a driver looking at a phone.
4. Can footage support an injury claim?
Yes, by showing how hard the impact was. Insurers routinely argue that a “low-impact” collision couldn’t have caused a herniated disc or concussion. Video of a car being shoved into an intersection, or of your head snapping forward, makes that argument harder to sustain.
5. Can a camera identify a hit-and-run driver?
It can. A storefront or doorbell camera may capture a partial plate, the make and color, and the direction of travel, which gives police something to work with. Even if the driver is never found, footage confirming that another car caused the crash supports an uninsured motorist claim under your own policy.
6. Is there video from public agencies?
Sometimes. NJ Transit buses may carry onboard cameras, and Jersey City has installed Miovision camera technology at about 70 signalized intersections. New Jersey has not run red-light cameras since its pilot program ended in 2014. Requests to public agencies can go through the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 and following sections, which generally requires a response within seven business days.
How do you keep footage from being deleted?
Act within days. Many private systems overwrite recordings automatically. Save your own dashcam file in its original format, since trimming or converting it can strip timestamps and metadata. For third-party footage, a written preservation request puts the owner on notice. If a party destroys relevant video after being asked to keep it, New Jersey courts can impose penalties for spoliation, the legal term for destroying evidence.
Mount a dashcam where it doesn’t obstruct your view, since N.J.S.A. 39:3-74 restricts windshield obstructions. Video also cuts both ways, showing your mistakes as clearly as anyone’s.
Which law offices serve people hurt in Hudson County crashes?
- The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone
- Omojola Law
- The Appello Law Firm
- Law Offices of Osualdo Gonzalez
- Edward G. Appel, Attorney at Law
The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone
The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, P.C. is a Jersey City firm where attorney Anthony Carbone has practiced for 35 years. The firm represents drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians injured in crashes. It also defends criminal and DUI charges. Consultations are free and offered in English, Hindi, and Punjabi.
Omojola Law
A Jersey City office focused on domestic violence and DUI defense.
The Appello Law Firm
A North Bergen firm that handles DUI and DWI cases.
Law Offices of Osualdo Gonzalez
A Union City office that handles traffic matters.
A downtown Jersey City practice that handles traffic and municipal court matters.
What’s the takeaway?
Video is some of the most persuasive evidence in a crash case, and some of the most fragile. Save your own footage and put camera owners on notice quickly. If you were hurt in a crash in Hudson County, The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone can review your case in a free consultation.
Attorney advertising. This article is general information and not legal advice.
