How Do I Get Surveillance Video of My Hit-and-Run Car Accident?

After a hit-and-run accident in Kansas City, MO, you may feel lost and confused about what to do. However, one of the most important steps you can take to help you find the at-fault, runaway driver is to obtain surveillance video of the crash. This video footage may help you or your attorney identify the driver, the type of vehicle they were driving, which direction they went, and the role they played in the accident.

Is it possible that there is surveillance video of my hit-and-run crash?

Kansas City, MO, has hundreds of cameras around the city. Depending on where your hit-and-run crash occurred, there is a strong possibility that one of the city-owned cameras or even a business or personal camera recorded your car accident. This means that it might be worth returning to the location of your accident to look around and determine whether any cameras are near the crash site. The following are the various types of surveillance video that you may use to prove your hit and run:

• Traffic camera footage: Traffic cameras are installed and run by the city or state. These can usually be found on traffic lights, which are in place to record and monitor the roadways.
• Dash cam footage: Dash cam footage is usually recorded by a camera placed on your dashboard. The camera may be turned on when you are driving and record the front and back views of your vehicle.
• Business or building footage: Many businesses or buildings install cameras to protect themselves from car crashes, theft, or other crimes and accidents that may occur. Therefore, you may notice businesses or buildings with cameras facing their front doors and parking lots to ensure their employees and customers are safe.
• Police body cam footage: When an accident occurs, those involved usually call 9-1-1 and wait for the responding officers to arrive. Once the police officers arrive at the scene, they may turn on their body cams, cameras on their body or uniform. The goal of this footage is to record the interaction with the individuals involved.
• Personal home footage: Similar to businesses, personal homes may be equipped with cameras. These cameras protect the individuals living in the home and provide proof of a break-in or burglary. Some of these cameras face the home’s front door, and some face the driveway or street.
• Cell phone footage: When witnesses see an accident, they may take their cell phones out and start recording. That means if a witness saw your accident happen, they may have captured it on their cell phone camera.

How do I get surveillance video of my hit-and-run accident?

Depending on who owns or operates the camera, the process for getting the surveillance video may vary. Here are a few different ways to obtain surveillance video of your hit-and-run accident based on who the camera belongs to:

• Your own cameras: If you have cameras located around your home, business, or inside your vehicle, you may be able to look at the data on those cameras for footage of the accident. If you are having trouble accessing or retrieving this data, you may need to take it to an expert who can obtain the footage without messing anything up.
• Your neighbor’s cameras: If your neighbors have cameras, you can simply ask them if their cameras captured any footage of your hit-and-run accident. If it did, you can ask them if you can use the footage to support your case.
• Cameras belonging to a business: If your crash occurred close to a business, there is a good chance the cameras at that business may have captured the necessary footage. You will need to talk to the manager, business owner, or even the building owner about obtaining the footage for your case.
• State and city-owned cameras: When retrieving data from state or city-owned cameras, you will likely need to contact the government agency responsible for operating these cameras. They may give you this footage after you explain why you need it and fill out the necessary paperwork.

What if the owner of the camera refuses to give me the surveillance video footage?

If the camera is privately owned and the owner refuses to give you the surveillance video footage, your only option may be to go through the standard legal process to obtain the footage. This can be a long and challenging process, but you should not put it off, as the footage may eventually be erased or overwritten. Therefore, hiring a car accident attorney to assist you with each step and successfully retrieve the footage you need is highly recommended. Below, we will go over how an attorney can help you with this situation.

• Finding cameras near your accident: Attorneys can go to the scene of your accident and find cameras nearby that may have captured the hit-and-run crash. If a camera owner is refusing to share the video, your attorney may be able to locate a different camera in the area that belongs to someone else.
• Speaking with, sending letters, and asking camera owners for footage: The best way to try to obtain surveillance footage is to ask nicely. Therefore, while you focus on recovering, your attorney will go around, speak with, and ask camera owners nicely for the footage. They will also send out letters letting the camera owners know to preserve the evidence on the camera as it is essential to your case.
• Speaking with law enforcement: If you filed a police report after your accident, there is a strong chance that the police officers are aware of the surveillance cameras in the area and have asked for the footage. Your attorney may be able to speak with law enforcement about whether the footage was obtained and how to get a copy.
• Using a subpoena: If a camera owner still refuses to give the footage, your lawyer may be able to use a subpoena to get the video footage. Subpoenas are court-ordered documents that state that the camera owners must provide the footage of your accident as soon as possible.
• Negotiating and explaining the critical need for the footage: Sometimes, business and property owners simply want to know why there is a critical need for their camera footage. Therefore, your lawyer may be able to fully explain the circumstances and negotiate on your behalf to successfully acquire the footage without ever needing to use a subpoena.

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we know how important video footage is to prove your hit-and-run accident. Even though these types of cases are known to be extremely complicated, we have the experience and skills needed to handle complicated cases. Our firm has been voted Kansas City’s Favorite Law Firm, and we strive to meet those expectations daily. Please call our office or submit our contact form for a free case review today at our main office in Kansas City, MO.  We also have offices by appointment in Lee’s Summit, Parkville, and St. Joseph, MO, as well as in Overland Park, Kansas City, and Olathe, KS, for your convenience.