When driving through Las Vegas or other parts of the state, you may notice traffic cameras. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) operates these devices, which give real-time traffic updates. As a driver, it benefits you to know whether NDOT keeps traffic camera footage and, if not, where you can get video evidence for your lawsuit.
Nevada Department of Transportation traffic cameras do not record or store footage, but other devices may, like security cameras, doorbell cameras, and eyewitnesses’ phones. Any footage is at risk of being deleted, so contact us right away to obtain it. We can use video footage to leverage a large out-of-court settlement or prove fault at trial for a sizeable jury award.
Get a free case and confidential review when you call Mitchell Rogers Injury Law’s Las Vegas, NV car accident lawyers at (702) 702-2622.
Do Traffic Cameras Keep Footage of Car Accidents in Las Vegas?
According to the Nevada Department of Transportation’s website, traffic cameras are for live monitoring purposes and do not record footage. Even if your crash happened near an NDOT traffic camera, the footage is likely inaccessible.
Still, we can contact NDOT in case footage of your accident is retained. Acting quickly in these instances is important, and there’s no guarantee footage will exist.
Some third-party websites claim to record and sell NDOT traffic camera livestreams, but the footage might be altered or otherwise compromised.
Since NDOT doesn’t store footage, we anticipate not having it for your case. We can build your case around other evidence, like eyewitness statements and photographs.
How Can I Get Camera Footage of a Car Accident in Las Vegas?
Even though NDOT cameras do not record or store footage, other devices might. Let our lawyers investigate potential sources of video footage, obtain that footage, and use it for your case.
Eyewitnesses
After an accident, eyewitnesses may offer aid. If they do, ask for their contact information and if they took photos or videos. Witnesses happening to be filming during a crash may have useful footage, and pictures they took at the scene may also help. Our Winchester, NV personal injury lawyers can collect these images when we interview witnesses for their statements.
Dashboard Cameras
Dashboard cameras are common. Some drivers use them to deter theft, and others use them for safety purposes inside rideshare cars. If you have dashboard camera footage, give it to our lawyers to review. It might show the at-fault driver hitting you head-on in an intersection.
If you notice a dashboard camera in the other driver’s car, tell us. We may get the footage before it’s deleted, which the at-fault driver may have an incentive to do.
Doorbell Cameras
Doorbell cameras are outside many homes and apartments and regularly film car accidents in Las Vegas. Not all doorbell cameras keep footage, and, like traffic cameras in Nevada, just provide 24-hour live feeds to the owners. Still, we can contact owners soon after a crash in case devices store footage.
Security Cameras
Retail shops, office buildings, restaurants, and other businesses often have surveillance systems outside. Tell us the location of your accident, and we can visit it to see if security cameras are nearby. If they are, we can contact the owners and request access to the footage.
Security camera owners might delete or override footage over time, not knowing its relevance to your case. The best way to prevent this is to have us contact them immediately.
What if I Took Too Long to Get Camera Footage of My Las Vegas Car Accident?
If footage from security cameras or other devices gets deleted before you can preserve it, you may still win your lawsuit. While video footage is strong evidence, other proof is capable of proving fault.
Traffic cameras do not store footage, so contacting the NDOT immediately may not yield the desired results. Some surveillance overrides footage automatically after a day or two, so acting fast doesn’t guarantee you will get it.
Even if much time has passed, we can still contact the owners. They may have months of footage saved, including the date and time of your accident. Furthermore, experts may be able to recover deleted footage from hard drives or other devices.
If there is no video evidence for your lawsuit, you can still recover damages. Eyewitness testimony can confirm the defendant’s negligence and the accident’s cause. Photos of property damage, broken car parts, and tire marks on the road prove fault, too. Even with video footage, we will need other evidence for your lawsuit.
How Can I Use Footage of a Car Accident to Win My Case in Las Vegas?
Having footage of a car accident gives you the upper hand when entering settlement negotiations. If we have video proof of the defendant’s negligent driving, they may agree to a much larger settlement than they would have otherwise.
If your case goes to trial, we can show video footage to the jury. The jury might clearly see the defendant ignoring your right of way, driving recklessly, or speeding and find the defendant liable.
We can also use videos you took on your phone as evidence. These videos may show the accident’s fallout, your immediate injuries, property damage, and other physical evidence.
If video footage shows the at-fault driver being especially reckless, the jury might award “punitive damages.” Juries award punitive damages to punish defendants and deter others from doing the same. While punitive damages are generally capped in Nevada, they are not limited in drunk driving accident lawsuits, according to NRS 42.010.
You can only use videos if you preserve them, so let our lawyers get footage for your accident lawsuit.
Call Our Nevada Lawyers About Your Recent Car Crash
Call Mitchell Rogers Injury Law at (702) 702-2622 for a free case evaluation from our Enterprise, NV car accident lawyers.