Had my share of close calls too, and honestly, the dashcam game can feel pretty hit or miss. I've been driving for years (probably more aggressively than I should), and I've tried a couple different cams—both budget and higher-end. The pricier one I have now definitely has better night vision and wider angles, and it has helped clear things up one or two times. Had a nasty scrape last winter where some guy slid into me during a snowstorm; the footage was crystal clear, insurance didn't hesitate to put him at fault.
But honestly, even a higher-end cam isn't always a guarantee. Sometimes the angle's just wrong or the lighting sucks no matter what you're running. I've had a few questionable lane-change incidents where footage didn't really help at all. You can't control how the insurance adjuster sees it either—sometimes they just seem eager to split fault to avoid hassle.
If you have the cash, upgrading might make sense for peace of mind, especially if you drive a lot at night or in rough weather. Just don't expect it to solve every issue perfectly. At the end of the day, it's still partly luck and partly how clearly the incident unfolds. For me, the upgrade was worth it, but I also learned to just accept that sometimes traffic incidents are messy and complicated no matter how good your gear is...
I've had similar experiences myself, even with a dashcam that's supposedly top-tier. Last summer, a guy clipped my mirror merging lanes on I-95—footage seemed clear enough to me, but insurance still decided to split fault. Sometimes feels like luck of the draw, doesn't it? Curious though, anyone find that insurance companies react differently when footage comes from a more expensive cam vs a cheaper one, or do they treat it all the same...?
Insurance companies usually don't care much about the dashcam's price tag—it's more about clarity and angle. I've seen crystal-clear footage from budget cams win cases, while expensive ones sometimes miss key details. Frustrating, I know...but your experience isn't uncommon, unfortunately.
Had a similar issue last year—bought a cheap dashcam off Amazon thinking it'd be enough. Footage was grainy at night, but daytime clarity was surprisingly decent. Ended up in a fender-bender, and insurance didn't even blink at the cam's price. They just wanted to see if the other car crossed lanes clearly. Makes me wonder, is it really worth spending extra on high-end cams if budget ones do the job just fine most of the time...?
Had a similar experience myself, actually. Bought a budget cam initially, and yeah, daytime footage was fine, but night-time was pretty useless—could barely make out license plates. Eventually upgraded to a mid-range model with better night vision, and the difference was noticeable. Insurance might not care about price, true, but if something happens at night, grainy footage could leave you stuck. Makes me wonder, how often do accidents occur at night versus daytime anyway...?
