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If you are not able to get to take photographs at the accident scene, then do the next best thing. Go back to the scene (if you can) and snap some pictures. If the accident was at night, then take pictures at night and on the daytime. The night pictures will show how street is illuminated, the daytime pictures will show if there was anyway the vehicles could see each other prior impact. The important thing to remember is that you need pictures from all four angles (in an intersection scenario). You also need pictures of the corners of the intersection to show any obstructions in visibility (under the fault heading you will see why this is important). Following is an example of some pictures I believe display the scene of an accident pretty good. These pictures were taken the day after the accident.
The last two picture show a tree and a vehicle parked on the side of the road. If you add two more vehicles and make this accident at night time, there could be a good argument regarding one driver not being able to see in that intersection. This is a hypothetical but it shows my point. You must show the lines on the road (dotted yellow), the signs posted (two stop signs), and any obstructions in the road (tree and car parked). Adjusters will tell you that the property damages (damages to your car) have nothing to do with the injury. They are settling for the pain to your neck, not for the damages to your car. This is not true. The insurance company is trying to buy themselves out of a lawsuit. If you show accident photos showing your damage, like the picture below, then a jury might very well be persuaded that the impact was significant enough to create a soft tissue injury (no broken bones).
But what do you do if you cannot go back to the scene? If the accident occurs in a different town, then how can you acquire accident photos or photos from the scene? Also note that the satellite picture is a little behind in time, and this neighborhood has built many homes in the last 12 months. Most neighborhoods do not experience this type of growth, making Google a great tool for you.
Having good accident photos and a good diagram can win your car accident. Learn how to draw a good diagram.
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