The Importance of Taking Photos
We are all familiar with the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” The same principle applies to personal injury lawyer in Long Island actions and photographs, whether we are dealing with a car accident, motorcycle accident, bus accident, truck accident, pedestrian accident, construction site accident, slip and fall, dog bites, burn injuries or other injuries.
Why Our Long Island Car Accident Lawyer Recommends Taking Pictures after a Car Accident
Taking photos following a personal injury event can help document the incident, and depending on the situation, may help prove your case.
For example, in a slip-and-fall case, it can help document the spilled liquid that caused you to slip and fall. This may become especially important if you slip on a liquid at the supermarket and see garbage, footprints or shopping cart tracks in the liquid, because these items can help document the fact that the spill existed long enough that it should have been discovered by supermarket employees.
What about the scene of a car accident? That depends on the circumstances. For example, it is more important to take photographs of the intersection where the accident occurred and how the cars were positioned following the impact, as opposed to taking pictures in a rear-end collision where both parties have pulled over to the side of the freeway to exchange information.
How about property damage? In a car accident, our car accident attorney recommends taking pictures of your property damage before your vehicle is repaired, especially if your damage is severe. Just as importantly, you should try to take photographs of the other driver’s vehicle.
Tips for Taking Photos of Injuries
Our Long Island car accident attorney recommends you always take photographs of your injuries, and in doing so, try to follow to the following guidelines:
- Setting. Take the photographs in an area free of clutter or household objects, such as mirrors, tables, etc., which could distract the viewer’s attention from your injuries.
- Facial expression. Do not make facial expressions or smile while taking the photographs. Making faces or smiling could leave a bad impression on anyone who sees the photos.
- Clothing and jewelry. Avoid wearing jewelry or makeup. Dress in clean and casual clothing.
- Save a copy of your photographs. Save backup copies of the photographs on your computer and on your email account or other “cloud” storage site.
- Multiple shots. Make sure that you take more than one picture of your injuries, using different angles.
- Surgery. If you have had any surgeries, make sure that you take several photos of your surgical site.
- Casts. Make sure that you take photos of all casts.
- Full shot. Take at least one photo showing your whole body. In doing so, make sure that the picture identifies you as the person with the broken arm, broken leg, lacerations, etc.
- Close-ups. Take close-up photographs of any scars, bruises, cuts, scrapes, casts, surgical sites, etc. In fact, take several shots, using different angles.
- Zoom out. In addition to taking close-up photographs, zoom out and take at least one overall photograph of a scar, bruise, cut, cast, etc., showing the entire scar, bruise, cut, cast, etc.
After an accident caused by someone else, it is important to contact a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer as soon as possible, particularly if you have been seriously injured. For more information about the importance of photographs – or any other aspect of a personal injury claim – get in touch with Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP.
We know how to calculate damages and justify it to an insurance adjuster or a jury. We work with investigators, medical professionals and financial specialists to ensure we fully document a case before we present compensation demands to insurers. If we go to court, we go prepared to win.
Call the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP now or fill out our simple contact form for a free, no obligation evaluation of your case and advice about your legal options.
