How using your smartphone as a dashcam can help protect you
Every time we get into our cars, we don’t expect anything crazy or bad to happen. Yet, according to a national study, the average driver will file an accident claim with his or her insurance company at least three or four times during their lifetime. Ranging from fender benders to serious, life-changing collisions, being in an auto accident requires you to submit an insurance claim to seek compensation for any injuries or damage experienced.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have indisputable proof as to what actually happened to cause the accident, clearing you of any blame and speeding up the claims process?
Enter dashcams. Even if you haven’t been following the hype surrounding dashcams here in the U.S., you’ve probably at least seen the crazy dashcam footage on Facebook or YouTube from countries like Russia, where everyone has one in their car. In fact, dashcams are widely used all around the world by taxi and bus drivers, police officers, and trucking companies. This is because dashcams provide video proof of situations or events.
What is a dashcam?
Dashcams, or dashboard-mounted cameras, are small video recording devices that are typically installed either on the dashboard of a car, hence the name, although they can also be attached to the windshield or placed elsewhere. Virtually any portable camera or smartphone can be used as a dashcam.
The purpose of a dashcam is to capture those moments that would normally come down to your “version” of the story. Whatever the occurrence—a car cutting you off, someone jumping in front of your vehicle, or an animal darting across the road—the dashcam records it and saves it for later reference.
Why you should consider using a dashcam in your vehicle
1. You have first-hand evidence of a car accident
This is by far the main reason why millions of car drivers have decided to invest their time and money in dashcams, especially in Russia, where you can see the highest number of dashcam users at the moment. Dashcams can be a great way to provide evidence in case you are in an accident.
If you are driving along and someone slams into you, there is a good chance that you didn’t even see what happened to you—but the dashcam may have caught it. The dashcam’s recording could be conclusive proof that the other driver was at fault in the accident, making it far easier for you to collect an insurance settlement than it otherwise would be.
A dashcam is one of the strongest and most efficient evidence you have for defending yourself, in case of a car crash. In the end, it is better to have one and to stay on the safe side, as it can help you save a lot of time, money and trouble in the long run.
2. You can avoid wrongfully issued tickets
Although law enforcement have good intentions, they can still wrongfully issue tickets. For example, the Chicago Tribune published a study that found that thousands of drivers in Illinois were issued tickets in error between 2007 and 2014.2 The tickets were generated by traffic cameras that malfunctioned.
If you receive a wrongfully issued ticket, but you have a dashcam in your car, you have a good chance of refuting the ticket and proving your innocence. This can help you avoid paying fines or receiving points on your record, which can increase your auto insurance premiums in the long run.
3. You can help prevent insurance fraud
Insurance fraud is becoming a major problem these days. Here’s the deal: you could be driving peacefully down the road when, without warning, the car in front of you slams on the brakes. Wham! You hit the car in front of you and another car rear-ends you.
Chances are, you probably didn’t notice the proximity of the car in front of you, or that the car from the right lane suddenly swerved to the left and took position behind you. The above situation is what insurance brokers call “Crash for Cash”, a fraudulent scheme which has caused insurance companies billions of dollars every year in false claims. Having a dashcam in your car will help provide video evidence of the fraudsters in action.
To sum it all up, a dashcam is a great investment from a safety and legal standpoint. Similar to buying an extended protection plan on a new TV, installing a dashcam in your vehicle gives you peace of mind that if anything goes wrong, your rights will still be protected.
What to do if you’ve been in an auto accident
If you have been in a car accident, contact Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd for a free consultation and case value estimate. Our attorneys will assist you in getting the best possible recovery for your injuries, and we will handle everything so you can focus on feeling better. For over 40 years, we have helped tens of thousands of Treasure Coast residents get the money that they deserve for their injuries, and we have recovered more than $500 million dollars on their behalf. Check out our client reviews to see for yourself.
We have four convenient office locations in Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, and Okeechobee, or we can come to you. Put experience on your side.
Get a FREE case review. Contact us online or call us at 866-460-1990.
