Every year in Arizona there are more than 100,000 car crashes. One device that could help you after a crash is a dash camera.
“I honestly think all drivers need a dash cam," John Selim, the owner of EZ Dashcam in Tempe, said.
Selim plays crash videos on the lobby TV as a reminder to customers that this small purchase now can save them a lot in the future.
“People tend to lie," Selim said. "Accidents are happening every day, and they need solid proof to defend themselves. People are sick of paying for damages they didn’t cause.”
The cameras can also continue running even when the vehicle is off in case you are hit when parked.
Selim says when he first started his dash-cam installation business, he was doing one to two installations a week. Now he says he is doing up to five every day.
Personal injury lawyer Joseph D'Aguanno works on lots of crash cases. He says after making sure you and the other people with you in the car are not hurt, and it’s safe to exit the vehicle, drivers should document everything they can after a crash, even if police are doing their own investigation.
“It is so important that people don’t assume the insurance companies have their back," D'Aguanno said. "(Or) that the person who hit them is doing to do the right thing.”
If anyone saw the accident happen, D'Aguanno says to get their name and contact information. He says they could support your side of the story to prove you were in the right.
He says determining liability often comes down to "he said, she said." It usually isn’t enough to prove you weren’t at fault.
“Without a dash cam to support that, without witnesses to support that, we can’t prove the case," D'Aguanno said.
Drivers should always call police after a crash. In Arizona, drivers are also required by law to give you their insurance information after being involved in a crash.
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