Understanding the Ways a Dashboard Camera Can Affect Your Lawsuit

Dashboard cameras are becoming increasingly popular, with more people starting to make them a permanent accessory in their vehicles. The legal team at The Henry Law Firm has experience using dashboard camera footage to build more robust cases. We can analyze your dashboard camera footage and determine how best it can be used in the fight to prove who is at fault for your accident. With our help, your dashboard camera footage can be used to strengthen your case and increase the likelihood of obtaining fair settlement.

According to Grand View Research, the global dashboard camera market size was estimated to be valued at $3.2 billion in 2020. Additionally, it’s expected to grow at a rate of 12.9 percent from 2021 to 2028 in terms of revenue. One of the main reasons dashboard cameras are becoming more common is that they are a valuable safety feature that provides robust evidence of what happens when things go wrong on the roadway. 

Yet, with their increase in use, a common question many are asking is if a dashboard camera can affect a lawsuit? The answer is yes – a dashboard camera can affect your case in both positive and negative ways. If you have a dashcam and are involved in a crash, save your footage and contact an Ohio lawyer.

Let’s read on to learn more about how a dashboard camera can affect your lawsuit.

What Is a Dashboard Camera

A dashboard camera is a small video camera that you typically mount to your vehicle’s dashboard, but some choose to mount it to their windshield. 

Most dashboard cameras are engineered with the function to record what is happening in front of your vehicle. A dashboard camera will begin recording as soon as your car is in gear. 

Additionally, a few high-tech dashboard cameras will record what is happening at the front of your vehicle, any sounds, and video inside your car. Moreover, a few dashboard cameras will have the feature allowing you to record rear-facing video, and some will let you set the footage to stream directly to the internet.

Are Dashboard Cameras Legal in Ohio?

It is legal to use a dashboard camera in your vehicle in Ohio, but you must follow two regulations. 

Ohio law states that a dashboard camera is not allowed to be positioned negligently to obstruct or interfere with a driver’s ability to concentrate on the road. Additionally, dashboard cameras are not permitted to record or intercept an individual’s conversation if a driver is unaware of it. 

Ultimately, a dashboard camera can record video and audio as long as a driver is aware of it. Additionally, dashboard cameras are permitted to record footage of most public environments. They can record on-duty police officers if the recording does not interrupt them while actively involved in police duties.

Three Ways a Dashboard Camera Can Affect Your Lawsuit

In recent years, dashboard cameras have been handy tools in lawsuits. The video footage on a dashboard camera can be used as evidence during a personal injury or car accident lawsuit. 

Now that we know what a dashboard camera is and that they are legal in Ohio, we can look at the three main ways a dashboard camera can affect your lawsuit. You might be surprised by what you learn.

Your Dashboard Camera Footage Can Be Admissible in Court

Dashboard camera footage can be admissible evidence in Ohio courts – most often in car accidents and personal injury claims. 

For your footage to be admissible in court, it must be relevant to your case. You will also have to testify that the camera was working correctly and the footage is a true and accurate depiction of the events of the crash. The judge overseeing your case will analyze and evaluate your dashboard camera footage to determine if it will be allowed to be used as evidence. 

We can help you before it gets to this stage in your case. If you present us with your dashboard camera footage, we can tell you if a judge will use it as evidence. Bringing the footage to us first could save you time and effort in the long run.

Dashboard Camera Footage Can Be an Invaluable Tool in Your Lawsuit

Since you can obtain both images and video footage from your dashboard camera, it can drastically increase the likelihood of reaching a favorable outcome. For example, if you’re in the midst of a car accident lawsuit or personal injury lawsuit, the evidence your camera shows can strengthen your case. 

Often, when a dashboard camera is set up correctly, it will include a timestamp, which is crucial as it demonstrates the exact time and date that the incident took place. It can also show the actual footage of the accident. Sometimes this can show how the accident transpired, who was involved, and who was at fault. Let’s look at two real-world scenarios of how a dashboard camera can help win you your lawsuit below:

1. Car Accident: If you were in an auto accident and your dashboard camera captures the footage, it can tell you the license plates, the car’s color, and any road laws that the other driver may have broken. For example, it can tell a lawyer, a judge, and a jury if the parties involved in the accident were speeding. It can also show if drivers were negligent, which helps the judge or jury determine fault.
2. Personal Injury Lawsuit: Although dashboard cameras are most helpful in a car accident lawsuit, they also play a vital role in particular personal injury cases. For example, a dashboard camera can record the assault by another person in or near their vehicle. It can capture the incident and show who the parties involved were, the type of weapon used in the assault, the clothes those involved were wearing, the various criminal acts of the parties involved, and broken laws.

Dashboard Camera Footage Can Be Used Against You

Although dashboard camera footage is crucial in helping you prove your case, if you were the bad actor, the footage can be used against you. If you have dashcam footage, its recordings are discoverable by a defense attorney. This means even if the footage is damaging to you, you will still have to turn it over. 

If the footage proves you were at fault or partially at fault, you could end up losing your lawsuit or having to pay compensation to the other parties involved in the incident. That’s why it’s crucial to get a lawyer to view your dashboard camera footage before you decide to do anything with it.

Speak With an Ohio Lawyer Today

Have you sustained injuries in a car accident or other type of accident that has resulted in you incurring injuries? Do you believe you have viable dashboard camera footage of the incident? An Ohio lawyer from The Henry Law Firm can work alongside you to evaluate the footage you have. We can tell you if your footage is helpful or harmful to use during your lawsuit. 

If your dashboard camera footage is likely to strengthen your chances of receiving compensation, we will work tirelessly to ensure it is seen. When you’re ready to discuss your case, you can contact us to speak with one of our professional lawyers.