Today, video cameras are seemingly everywhere, whether it is a cell phone, a laptop or tablet, a digital camera or a GoPro. While there are some potentially troubling privacy implications of video cameras’ prevalence, they do sometimes prove invaluable benefits, including possibly providing the key evidence you need to win your motorcycle accident injury case. Whether or not you have video footage among your pieces of evidence, it is essential to have an experienced San Mateo motorcycle accident attorney on your side. Your attorney can help you take the proof you have, whatever that evidence is, and use it to its maximum potential.
Just a few years ago, a person injured in auto accident due to the negligence of another driver might rely on still photographs, eyewitness testimony or the expert opinions of an accident reconstructionist as his evidence. This might be particularly difficult to track down if your accident happened on the freeway. (As an important side note: even if you were hurt in a freeway accident and you don’t have video evidence, you definitely should still consult counsel, as a skilled attorney may still be able to accumulate enough evidence to put together a winning case and get a positive result for you.)
If, however, a jury has live-action video footage of every second of your crash, and every moment leading up to it, you may have an even stronger case. A recently concluded case, which was reported by ABC 7, demonstrated exactly that. M.R. was a motorcyclist traveling along the 405 freeway in Los Angeles County when the driver of a sedan allegedly changed lanes abruptly and without signaling. The sedan driver’s lane change sent M.R. careening across three lanes of traffic and slamming into a flatbed trailer, according to the report.
Although M.R. was not killed, his injuries were major. He suffered multiple broken bones and his injuries required several weeks in the hospital and multiple surgeries to treat. Even with the surgeries, the multiple orthopedic fractures meant that M.R. faced a future of chronic pain and related pain, suffering and distress.
How video evidence helped
With lesser evidence, the injured motorcyclist might have been forced to litigate every aspect of his case, including liability. In this situation, though, another motorcyclist had been riding with a GoPro camera mounted to his helmet and filming. The footage captured M.R.’s bike skidding in a shower of sparks as the man crashed to the pavement. M.R. acquired that footage and used it as part of his case.
Due to the strength of M.R.’s evidence, the defense did not even contest liability, but admitted it. That meant that M.R. only had to prove the extent of his damages at trial, which the jury’s verdict set at $21.5 million, according to the report.
If you have video footage, then that clearly may give you a very strong case. Even if you didn’t have that kind of evidence, you very possibly may still be able to accumulate enough proof to achieve a successful result. Either way, the right legal representation can help. Talk to the skilled San Mateo motorcycle accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos to get the advice and counsel you need. Our attorneys have been providing effective advocacy for injured people for many years. To set up a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, contact us at 650-345-8484 or through our website.
Another Motorcyclist’s Video Camera Footage Helps An Injured Motorcyclist Win a $21M Jury Verdict in California
