John Fiske Brown Associates, Inc.

 FILM IS CHEAP. CLAIMS CAN BE EXPENSIVE!

 by Jack C. Debes, Ph.D.

As an injury biomechanics and accident reconstruction specialist, I often find myself struggling to put together a forensic puzzle with a few too many pieces missing. One way that insurance claims inspectors can help the forensic expert is to take plenty of photographs of property damage. When it comes to reconstructing an auto accident, the next best thing to having been there is having good photographic evidence. This is especially true when there is a possibility of a personal injury claim. One of the best ways for the biomechanics expert to determine if the forces of the collision caused injury is to quantify the "crush" damage to the vehicle. The best way to do this is to take direct measurements of the vehicle in its damaged state. Second to this, high quality photos of the damage can allow the reconstructionist to quantify the amount of energy of the collision. At less than $7 for a roll of film, and even less for digital photos, skimping on photography is like stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

Here are a few tips for taking photos of vehicular property damage:

The "Big Eight": Take photos of all four sides and all four corners of the vehicle. Even parts of the vehicle that appear to be undamaged can be important.

Photograph the damaged area from at least three different angles.

Take photos of the damaged regions with and without a measuring stick in view. Make sure that your measuring stick has graduations (of feet and inches) that can be clearly read in the photos.

Bring a step-ladder along. Get up on the ladder and take some shots looking straight down on the damage (with your measuring stick in view) so that the depth of the dent(s) may be measured.

Use the "landscape" view only (except in rare cases where damage can only be viewed using the "portrait" view). This makes it easier to view photos when they are placed in an album.

Be sure to take a photo of each of the following:

a. The license plate.

b. The VIN number (on the dashboard).

c. The vehicle identification tag (on the driver’s side door).

d. The odometer reading.

Carry a disposable camera in every car you drive. Tell your friends and colleagues to do this too. If you are involved in an accident take as many photos as you can at the scene. Be sure to get photos of all the vehicles involved. If possible, without putting yourself in danger, get some shots of the vehicles in the positions where they came to rest (before they are moved). Also, try to get some photos of any skid marks that you can see.

Be sure not to get in the way of any emergency or law enforcement personnel and don’t put yourself or others in harm’s way!