Reader question:
Why am I sometimes advised to keep a camera in the car for car insurance claims purposes?
Randall
It’s great advice, and here’s why.
Car accidents are very rarely clearly cut incidents. Sometimes it’s obvious who was at fault, and other times it’s hard to say. Even when this part of incident is obvious and known, it is still a stressful experience and can put a strain on your memory. And what does that mean? It means that sometimes people might remember things differently than they actually happened, or even deliberately lie to cover up their mistakes. One of the ways to protect against this problem affecting you if you should get into a car accident is to carry a camera in your car.
When you’re filing a car insurance claim, the insurance company wants all kind of documentation proving what happened and what you had to pay and why. The insurance company does not want to pay you, and it especially does not want to pay you a lot. To make sure that you get what you deserve, you need to make sure you have as much evidence as possible concerning your point of view.
So keep a camera in your car. Nothing fancy, just a disposable one would be fine. If you chance to get in a car accident, then you can take out the camera and take a record of the accident. Make sure that you take pictures from all angles, inside and outside the car, and of the areas around, and develop the pictures for evidence for your car insurance company.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.