How Traffic Light Camera Footage Can Be Used as Evidence in a Car Accident Claim

Car accidents are traumatic, especially if you or a loved one suffered serious injuries and face a long recovery or an uncertain future. Even if your injuries are not debilitating or serious, you could still face a large hospital bill, one or more missed paychecks, and property damage to your vehicle. Sadly, the distress of a car accident continues when you try to recover your losses through a Connecticut car accident claim. Insurance companies commonly dispute fault to protect their profits at the victim’s expense. A New Haven car accident attorney investigating the case on your side uses all available evidence to prove liability for a car accident. One of the most valuable types of evidence in a Connecticut car accident claim is traffic camera footage. Because many accidents occur in intersections, obtaining footage from traffic light cameras is an important tool to prove fault.

How Common Are Traffic Cameras in Connecticut?

Connecticut legislature recently passed a program allowing the installation of traffic light cameras in major intersections statewide. This follows a pilot program with traffic light cameras installed in many intersections as a test. Traffic camera footage may be available after an accident if the accident victim acts quickly, and many more cameras are coming to Connecticut intersections soon. Traffic cameras only store footage for a limited time so it’s important to act quickly. A car accident attorney may be able to recover the footage of an accident and use it as evidence in a car accident claim.

What Do Red Light Cameras Do?

Red light cameras may provide critical evidence for car accident claims, but they weren’t designed for that specific purpose. Traffic light cameras are designed to capture images of traffic light violations such as drivers who run red lights, fail to stop before turning right on red, blocking an intersection, or other violations.

When an accident occurs in or near an intersection, traffic cameras placed in the intersection for the purpose of missing traffic citations may provide important evidence. Most cameras store footage for up to 30 days and provide footage upon request.

How Does Traffic Camera Footage Help in a Connecticut Car Accident Case?

Connecticut is a fault-based car accident insurance state. The state’s modified comparison negligence insurance laws allow a car accident injury victim to recover a portion of their damages even if they contributed to the accident as long as they are less than 50% at fault. This is beneficial for those who did contribute to the accident, but it also incentivizes the insurance company to assign an undue percentage of fault to accident victims even if the other driver was completely to blame. Along with other evidence, traffic camera footage often reveals the moments leading up to the accident as vehicles enter the intersection and then the accident itself. Analyzing the video evidence helps determine the cause of the accident and who was at fault. It may also back up eyewitness testimony, the police report, and evidence at the scene to make the most compelling case for an accident victim’s compensation.

A Connecticut accident attorney can help determine if a red light camera was present at the time of the accident and obtain footage to present in a demand package to the insurance company of the at-fault driver.