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Will a vehicle dash camera help me if I am involved in an accident in Maryland and I am not at fault?
If you are a driver in Maryland you may want to consider having a Dashboard Camera in your vehicle. It may help you if you are involved in an automobile crash.
Nowadays, consumer dash cameras cost around $60 to $150 and are usually pretty easy to install. Many dash cameras will record both video and audio and the recording can be either stored locally on a flash drive and can be uploaded to a cloud or device for storage.
If you are involved in an accident and you have dashcam footage or are able to access dashcam footage of the accident, please make sure to obtain and preserve a copy of that video. It is very important that you speak with an experienced attorney in Maryland right away and let them know so that they can help you preserve that footage.
While each driver may report their accident to their insurance company, a dash camera’s footage may be the deciding factor in determining liability.
Is Dash Camera footage admissible in court in Maryland?
Generally in Maryland, dash camera footage is considered either real evidence or demonstrative evidence. As long as it is properly authenticated as a fair representation of what they purport to show,a trial court or judge may exercise its discretion to allow it to be shown.
In the past, courts were hesitant to allow movies or videos as demonstrative evidence as there was the concern that they could be easily edited to be misleading. However, the more modern approach by the courts is that as long as it can be shown that these recordings are made automatically, they are generally admitted at the discretion of the trial court as to its relevance to the determination of liability.
While it may be helpful to have a dashboard camera in your vehicle and it may be admissible in court, it is very important that you reach out to an experienced Maryland automobile accident attorney to discuss your claim as soon as possible.
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