Depending on the location of your recent car accident in Maryland, a traffic camera might have filmed or photographed it. If so, quickly obtaining that footage is important, as monitoring agencies may not keep it for long.
In Maryland, there are three types of traffic cameras: live, red-light, and speed cameras. Live cameras overseen by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) aren’t intended to film accidents. If an MDOT camera happened to film a crash in Maryland, the agency might not store the footage for long, if at all. Speed and red-light cameras store photos so police officers can identify and ticket negligent drivers. If you do not obtain traffic camera footage before it is deleted, hope is not lost. Our attorneys can use other evidence, like private security camera footage and eyewitness testimony, to prove a negligent driver’s fault in Maryland.
We’re here to help car accident victims in Maryland recover the compensatory damages they deserve. For a free case evaluation with the Ocean City car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call today at (410) 694-7291.
How Long Does MDOT Keep Footage from Live Traffic Cameras?
Like in many states, the Maryland Department of Transportation maintains a network of live traffic cameras along major highways and roadways. These cameras are used to help MDOT staff and drivers monitor the flow of traffic, not to film car accidents. Because of that, MDOT may not store footage from live traffic cameras for long, if at all.
Throughout Maryland, live MDOT traffic cameras are used to keep drivers updated on traffic and weather conditions. While it’s possible for a car accident to happen in view of one of MDOT’s cameras if an accident occurs on a highway, victims may be unable to access any footage.
Generally, live traffic cameras aren’t designed to store footage. They’re not meant to film videos of traffic accidents and store them for victims to access in the future. That said, if an MDOT camera was near your crash site, our Baltimore car accident lawyers can reach out regarding potential footage. If MDOT did happen to store footage of your crash, our attorneys can promptly contact the agency and request access to it.
How Long Do Red-Light Cameras Keep Photos of Accidents in Maryland?
Maryland is one of several states that allows law enforcement agencies to use red-light cameras to enforce traffic laws. Reach out to our attorneys if there was a red-light camera near your recent accident site. If a red-light camera photographed your collision, our lawyers can contact the monitoring police department to obtain the images.
Unlike MDOT cameras, red-light cameras don’t film footage. Instead, they snap photos when triggered. These devices sit atop traffic lights and are triggered when a negligent driver runs a stoplight. They then take photos, often of a negligent driver’s face and license plate. If triggered at the exact right moment, it’s possible that a red-light camera photographed a car accident in Maryland.
Because law enforcement agencies use photos from red-light cameras to identify and ticket negligent drivers, images of your crash will likely remain available for some time. That said, it’s not guaranteed that police officers will keep these photos very long or that they will be easy to access. This is why contacting our attorneys immediately after an accident in Maryland is important.
How Long Do Speed Cameras Keep Photos of Accidents in Maryland?
Speed cameras are permitted in certain jurisdictions in Maryland, usually in work or school zones, to deter reckless driving. If a speed camera happened to photograph your recent car accident in Maryland, the monitoring agency will likely keep those photos for some time.
Speed cameras are designed to store images. That’s because police officers use the photos taken by speed cameras to identify and ticket speeding drivers. These cameras are triggered when negligent drivers pass a sensor while driving over the speed limit. Depending on the location of your accident, it’s possible that a speed camera snapped some photos of the crash.
If you contact the monitoring agency quickly enough, you may be able to obtain photos of your accident taken by a speed camera. It’s best to contact our Maryland car accident lawyers and begin retrieval efforts quickly. It’s unclear how long police departments in Maryland keep these photos, especially if the images do not contain the information they need to ticket a negligent driver.
What if a Traffic Camera Didn’t Keep Footage of My Accident in Maryland?
Because traffic camera footage and photos of car accidents may not be stored for very long in Maryland, our attorneys have other means of proving a negligent driver’s fault. So, if you cannot access images from traffic cameras quickly enough, don’t worry. Our Bowie car accident lawyers will be prepared to use other evidence to support your claim.
Often, it’s the case that traffic cameras don’t properly film, photograph, or store images of car accidents in Maryland. Since that is the norm, our attorneys will anticipate the need to provide other evidence to prove a negligent driver’s fault and begin investigating an accident right away.
Although there may not be accessible traffic camera footage of a crash, there might be security camera footage. It’s common for local businesses or homeowners to position private security cameras on their properties in Maryland. These devices often take clearer and more reliable videos of car accidents than traffic cameras. Our lawyers can contact business owners or homeowners to request access to security camera footage of your recent car accident.
When serious accidents happen, people often stop and watch. If there are eyewitnesses to your accident, try to get their contact information. If you can’t, our attorneys can identify them using the information found in the police report for your crash. Photos and videos taken by eyewitnesses at the scene and eyewitness testimony can be invaluable in your Maryland compensation claim.
Call Our Lawyers After a Car Accident in Maryland
If you were recently injured in a car accident in Maryland, our attorneys can help. For a free case evaluation with the Columbia car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras, call today at (410) 694-7291.