Honestly, dashcam footage isn't always the magic bullet people think it is. Last year, my older brother got rear-ended at a stoplight, clear as day on his dashcam. He thought he was golden—until the insurer started nitpicking about the angle and lighting. They claimed it wasn't clear enough to determine fault (seriously?), even though anyone with eyes could see what happened.
He ended up pushing back by providing photos of the damage and a police report that backed him up. Eventually, they caved, but it took way longer than it should've. Moral of the story: dashcams are great, but don't rely solely on them. Always grab extra evidence—photos, witnesses, police reports—because insurers can and will argue over anything if they think it'll save them a buck.
Yeah, insurers can be a real pain sometimes. Dashcams are awesome, but you're totally right—they're not foolproof. A friend of mine had a similar issue, and the insurance company tried to argue the footage was "inconclusive" because of rain droplets on the windshield...seriously? He ended up tracking down a witness who backed him up, and that finally did the trick. Always good to have backup evidence handy—photos, witnesses, police reports—because insurers will definitely try to wiggle out if they can save a few bucks.
"Always good to have backup evidence handy—photos, witnesses, police reports—because insurers will definitely try to wiggle out if they can save a few bucks."
Couldn't agree more. I once had a minor fender-bender and the insurer initially denied my claim citing "insufficient evidence." Thankfully, I'd snapped some quick photos at the scene...saved me a lot of hassle later.
Couldn't agree more. I once had a minor fender-bender and the insurer initially denied my claim citing "insufficient evidence." Thankfully, I'd snapped some quick photos at the scene...saved me a...
I had a similar experience a couple years back. Someone backed into me at the grocery store parking lot, and at first, the insurance company tried to say it was my fault because I didn't have a witness or police report. Luckily, I remembered the store had security cameras. Here's what I did step-by-step:
1. Went back to the store and politely asked if they could check their footage.
2. Got a copy of the video clearly showing the other driver backing into me.
3. Submitted that video evidence to the insurer.
After that, they quickly changed their tune and covered everything without any more hassle. Always worth checking for cameras nearby...you never know!
That's a smart move about checking the cameras—did the store charge you for a copy, or was it free? I've wondered if most places are cooperative about sharing footage or if they get hesitant about privacy stuff...
