The Great Value Of Accident Photographs

You were humming along on a bright and sunny day when suddenly Fred Fuddle, a local character from a nearby town, drunk as a skunk and zooming along in his pickup, flew through stop sign crashing into the right front of your motor vehicle. You had no choice to avoid him. Now the time has come to settle your claim for property damage and personal injuries. Let's talk about photographs one of the basics that should have been taking place - - just as soon as possible - - after that impact had taken place.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF INJURIES: Photographs are often the best evidence you can produce to increase the value of your claim. If your accident causes bodily injuries that are visible (such as bruises, deep cuts, swellings, lacerations, dislocations and/or black and blue marks) it's crucial, to the ultimate settlement value of your case, that you have photographs taken of those just as soon as possible! Take them from 3 feet away and also as close as you can so as to capture the seriousness of heir existence. When you hand those to Adjuster I. M. Smart from the Granite Insurance Company believe me when I tell you he'll stare at them and blanch!

Question: "How does Dan know this to be so"?

Answer: "Because for 38 years Dan was there and felt that"!

PHOTOGRAPHS OF BOTH VEHICLES: You should take photographs of the damages to your vehicle from several different angles. If at all possible find the motor vehicle that hit you and take photographs of that damage also. When it comes to proving the impact your body was subjected to (and in many cases to prove who was at fault) those photographs could one day be worth their weight in gold.

HOW TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE: The pictures of each accident scene should be taken from at least three different angles: Snap several of a "general view" of the area from about 20 to 40 feet away; a couple more "medium range" shot's from 10 to 15 feet away, and then some "close up" shot's from 3 to 5 feet away. If it's at all possible all three different distances should have a common point or orientation. If, for example, you're snapping photographs of a skid mark, it should be taken from an angle so as to clearly show were that skid mark is, in relation to a landmark, like a street sign, a building, a fire hydrant, etc. Another photograph should then be taken with a closer view - - one clearly identifying the skid mark in detail - -and also, if possible, include this readily identifiable object or landmark (the street signs, building's, etc.).

Because they're such potent evidence you should blow up those photographs of the skid marks, taken from 3 to 6 feet away, into 8X10 glossies. A total of 12 to 15 photographs of the accident scene and/or the skid marks are not too many. When you hand copies of the 8X10 glossy photograph's of those skid marks to the adjuster, to help justify he payment he'll eventually make to you, it will absolutely increase the value of your claim.

"Why" you ask?

The answer to that one is, "Because it will tell both adjuster Smart and his supervisor (who, in the end, will usually call the shots on how much your settlement dollars should be) that you know what you're doing and you're not the type of individual who can be taken advantage of".

A WORD OF CAUTION: The individual engaged in the task of snapping photograph's of your body, the accident scene, etc., should be careful to make sure they're not undertaking this effort with a casual, hasty or careless attitude - - one that tends to leave it up to do the camera to do the thinking for them. Rather, the photographer ought to carefully consider the process the process slowly and seriously so that the photos produced will produce the maximum value.

If at all possible photos should be taken of the exact location on the road where the impact occurred, and shots of all relevant gouge and/or chop marks on the surface, plus traffic signs, etc., as applicable.

It cannot be emphasized enough that photographs of skid marks are invaluable evidence, since they can often indicate Fuddle's speed at the time of impact and can be a tremendous asset when it comes to establishing fault.

A good practice to follow is to make a brief notation on the backs of all photos, entering upon them a brief account of what the photo is showing, the date it was taken and by whom.

Photographs of injuries, the accident scene and the road surface if done correctly - - is money in the bank !

Copyright (c)2004 By Daniel G. Baldyga

DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article "THE GREAT VALUE OF ACCIDENT PHOTOGRAPHS" is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga, Peter Go nor ARTICLECITY.COM make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever: NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service, NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.

All of the information necessary for you to deal with and handle the above issues are spelled out wiithin the contents of Dan Baldyga's third "How To" Insurance Claim book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss)found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com or http://www.autoaccodentclaims.com. This book also contains BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA will tell you exactly how many dollars the "Pain and Suffering" you endured, because of your accident - - are worth!

Copyright (c) 2002 By Dan Baldyga. All Rights Reserved

About The Author

Dan Baldyga is now retired and spends his time writing articles to assist those who are involved in motor vehicle accident claims so they won't be taken advantage of: dbpaw@comcast.net.

In The News:


CBS News

Elder Law: Pay attention to FDIC insurance rules
The News-Press, FL - 5 hours ago
First, I need to clarify two concerns that readers have raised about the partnership program for long term care insurance that I discussed last week. ...
FDIC approves $250000 insurance limit International Herald Tribune
MarketWatch columnist Chuck Jaffee's Stupid Investment of the Week ... Seattle Times
Protect you bank deposits St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Globes - EMportalall 629 news articles

Boston Globe

Drawbacks in Mr. McCain's Health Plan
Washington Post, United States - 12 hours ago
op-ed, Oct. 7] is correct that eliminating the tax preference for employer-sponsored health insurance, as proposed by Republican presidential nominee John ...
Video: McCain, Obama Differ Dramatically on Health Care AssociatedPress
Feeling sick Concord Monitor
Sorting out the truth on health care Tampabay.com
MiamiHerald.com - Ithaca Journalall 1,636 news articles

Reuters

AIG's Play For Time
Forbes, NY - 1 hour ago
That program involved lending debt securities held by AIG's life insurance subsidiaries to banks and brokerage houses, which paid face value or even a bit ...
AIG's gallows humor gives bankers a laugh Reuters
Chick Wit: Again, it's the economy, and it's stupid Philadelphia Inquirer
Taxpayer bailout tab could run into trillions CNNMoney.com
Wall Street Journal - MiamiHerald.comall 1,134 news articles

Voters want solutions as health insurance costs rise sharply
Kansas City Star, MO - 7 hours ago
By SUZANNE KING Dave Coffman of Lee’s Summit has been working two part-time jobs since he retired so he can afford long-term care insurance, ...
The Problem With Tax-Exempt Health Insurance New York Times
America ready for health care GoErie.com
Biden slams McCain proposals News-Leader.com
New York Timesall 6 news articles

ABC News

Fidelity, Vanguard join money-fund insurance plan
Seattle Times, United States - 3 hours ago
Fidelity Investments have joined the US Treasury's emergency insurance program for money-market mutual funds, pushing the participation rate to more than 95 ...
Making sense out of investment fund uncertainty San Francisco Chronicle
Funds Turn To Treasury Guaranty Washington Post
Worried about the economy? The State
On Wall Street - Wall Street Journalall 280 news articles

Missouri unemployment insurance fund headed toward insolvency
Kansas City Star, MO - 7 hours ago
By DIANE STAFFORD Missouri’s unemployment insurance fund is being pushed toward insolvency — again — by the wobbling economy. The National Employment Law ...

Washington Post

Japan in desperate effort to halt its own downward economic spiral
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 16 hours ago
Testimony to this were the nation's first direct victims: the 1000 employees of Yamato Life Insurance, as well as its 170000 policy holders, ...
Yamato files for bankruptcy Financial Times
Japan's Yamato Life Insurance files for bankruptcy Hindu
Japanese insurance co Yamoto collapses; files for bankruptcy Hindu Business Line
Dispatch Online - The Daily Yomiuriall 384 news articles

Reuters

Despite the Turmoil, Insurance Companies Appear Safe
TIME - Oct 10, 2008
Consumers could be forgiven for being jittery this week when news came that MetLife and The Hartford, two well known insurance giants, had experienced huge ...
Sector Snap: Insurance companies fluctuate Forbes
Market Place Insurance Industry Joins Banking Giants on the Hot Seat New York Times
Consider Staking a Claim in Allstate Barron's
Straits Times - Forbesall 49 news articles

New York Times

Insurance on Lehman Debt Is the Industry’s Next Test
New York Times, United States - 18 hours ago
David A. Paterson of New York, left, and Eric R. Dinallo, the insurance regulator, want credit-default swaps regulated. Nearly three weeks after the Wall ...
Lehman Auction Leaves Cloudy Picture For Banks Forbes
Traders' worst fears realised at Lehmans auction Independent
Financial crisis: Lehman Brothers liabilities sale fails to pacify ... Telegraph.co.uk
Todays Financial News - Canadian Underwriterall 207 news articles

Learning the hard way about FDIC insurance
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 11 hours ago
That experience motivated Quittel to mount a campaign urging the FDIC to require banks to warn depositors if their account balance is over the insurance ...
An e-mail, contra unlimited deposit insurance: National Review Online Blogs
all 2 news articles
insurance - Google News

Dont Just Accept Your Car Insurance Renewal Quote

UK car insurance companies make substantial profits every year because... Read More

How Many Homeowner Insurance Quotes Do I Need To Save Money?

Homeowner insurance quotes can vary in the amount they cost... Read More

Car Insurance Monitoring for Discounted Insurance Rates - Privacy Devouring Monster Eating Us One Bi

For a price, would you let car insurer along for... Read More

Individual Health Insurance Plans - How To Find The Best Provider Online

Whether you are self-employed or a small business owner, finding... Read More

What is Home Insurance?

Home Insurance is designed to provide you with financial protection... Read More

Your Personal Injury Insurance Claim: Several Crucial Insights Into Medical Reimbursements

The best judge of Total Disability and/or Partial Disability is... Read More

Student Possessions Insurance - Insuring the Contents of Your Room

In the UK each September, 350,000 new students embark off... Read More

Reducing Soaring Insurance Claim Costs

With the soaring rise in claims to insurers from their... Read More

10 Tips to Save on Healthcare Insurance

Americans shopping for their own healthcare insurance can substantially cut... Read More

The Need For Life Insurance

A person needs to reexamine their life insurance needs every... Read More

How Can I Compare Life Insurance Quotes?

The online life insurance companies offer a free service where... Read More

What Are The Differences Between A Cancellation Notice And Non-renewal Notice?

OK, you take that stroll down to the mailbox excitedly... Read More

Consumer Directed Health Plans

Most of you have heard about "consumer directed health plans".... Read More

Tips On How To Save When Buying Car Insurance

If you want to save money when you purchase your... Read More

Health Savings Account (HSA): What Happens to it When I Retire?

The Health Savings Account (HSA) is a great tool that... Read More

What to Look for in Good Health Insurance

Health insurance is a kind of protection that provides payment... Read More

Should I Buy Rental Car Insurance?

Rental car agencies have a menu of insurance policies they... Read More

About Online Term Life Insurance Rates

Online term life insurance ratesHow simple it is today finding... Read More

Why Does Health Insurance Cost So Much?

Why does health insurance cost so much? Year after year,... Read More

Family Health Insurance Plans - How to Find The Best Provider Online

Family health insurance plans typically need to offer more coverage... Read More

Are Accidents More Likely To Occur Closer To Home?

If you are going to be involved in an accident,... Read More

A Free Term Life Insurance Quote Is Only Easy To Obtain

By searching online for life insurance, you can get a... Read More

Sisters Are Insuring Themselves: Finance is the New Feminism

According to a study by LifeSearch, the number of women... Read More

How to Reduce Home Insurance Premiums

Here are some useful tips on how to reduce Home... Read More

UK Young Driver Motor Insurance - Build Your Own No Claims Bonus or Insure through Your Parents

For may young drivers, affording the costs of motor insurance... Read More