Key Takeaways:
- Act Quickly to Secure Traffic Camera Footage After a Car Accident in California
- Traffic footage from government, business, or residential cameras may be overwritten within days.
- To preserve evidence, identify the camera type (traffic, red-light, security, or dashcam), determine ownership, and submit a request immediately. Include specific details such as the accident date, location, vehicle info, and any supporting visuals.
- Traffic Camera Footage Can Prove Fault and Strengthen Your Personal Injury Claim
- Video evidence helps clarify liability, supports the severity of injuries, and counters false narratives from at-fault drivers or insurers.
- Footage showing who ran a red light or failed to yield can significantly accelerate claims and increase settlement amounts.
- A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help Obtain and Use Footage Effectively
- If agencies deny access, ignore your requests, or delay releasing footage, a personal injury attorney can file legal demands or subpoenas.
- Legal support ensures key video evidence is preserved, especially when you’re seriously injured or facing an uncooperative insurance company.
Traffic Camera Video and Your Accident
You’re driving through a packed California intersection when another car suddenly crashes into yours. It’s jarring and so many things happen in just seconds. In the chaos, details blur. Who had the right of way? Who ran the red light? Who turned too fast? You’re sure it wasn’t you, but proving that is another story.
One of the clearest ways to support your version of events is through traffic camera footage. The problem is, getting it isn’t always simple. Different agencies control different cameras, and the clock starts ticking the moment the crash happens.
But before anything else, it helps to know what to do after a car accident. This guide teaches you who to contact, how fast you should act, what details to include in your request, and why you need traffic camera footage for your case.
How to Get Traffic Camera Footage in California After a Crash
Traffic footage can help you and involved parties know exactly what happened. But you may wonder how to obtain a traffic camera video of a car accident in California. Take note of the steps below:
1. Identify what type of camera captured the accident
Recall where the crash happened. Was it on a highway, a busy intersection, or near a storefront? The type of camera also matters. Areas you can check:
- Traffic cameras – Usually mounted on poles at major intersections or freeways. Caltrans or city transportation departments manage some of them.
- Red-light cameras – These automatically snap photos or video when someone runs a red light. The city or a private vendor usually owns them.
- Business security cameras – If you crashed near a gas station, store, or restaurant, their exterior cameras might have caught the incident.
- Residential doorbell or security cams – More common in neighborhoods and often face the street, making them helpful in capturing nearby accidents.
- Dash cams – Check if nearby witnesses or even your vehicle had one running.
Note that most live-streaming traffic cameras are designed for real-time monitoring, rather than recording footage. So if you’re hoping to access footage, act fast and manage your expectations; there’s no guarantee the camera recorded anything useful.
2. Figure out who owns the camera
Once you know what kind of camera may have caught the crash, it’s time to find out who owns it or is responsible for its operation. You can approach or reach out to:
- Caltrans – Manages cameras on California highways and freeways.
- City or county transportation departments – Handle cameras at local intersections and surface streets.
- Private businesses or homes – Include gas stations, retail stores, apartment buildings, or residential homes.
To identify ownership, you can:
- Check for agency signage near the pole or traffic signal.
- Use Google Maps Street View to virtually revisit the crash site.
- Note any nearby businesses or homes that may have outward-facing cameras.
- Ask the city’s traffic or police department who owns the red-light camera, if it captured the accident.
3. Submit a formal request quickly
Many agencies overwrite or delete footage in as little as seven days – sometimes 30 if you’re lucky. So the faster you act, the better.
Here’s what to do:
- Public footage – If a city or state agency owns the camera, file a Public Records Act (PRA) request. Each city or department has a distinct process—look for a “records request” section on their website.
- Private footage – If a nearby business or homeowner owns the camera, visit or call them politely. Explain what happened, give the time and date, and ask if they’d be willing to share the video.
4. Include supporting details in your request
Vague requests get ignored, while specific ones get results. To strengthen your request or claim, include the following evidence of a car accident:
- Exact date and time of the accident
- Location of the accident (intersection, address, direction of travel)
- Your vehicle’s make, model, and color
- The other vehicle’s description, if known
- A police report number, if available
- Any screenshots, dashcam clips, or diagrams that show where the crash happened
- Paper trails like email confirmations, sent forms, and screenshots of online submissions relating to the accident
5. Follow up and be persistent
Agencies receive tons of requests, and yours can easily fall through the cracks. Here’s how to stay on it:
- Follow up politely if you haven’t heard back after a few days.
- Keep notes on who you spoke with, when, and what they said.
- If your request is denied or ignored, your lawyer can resend the request with the correct legal language or pursue further action with subpoenas, if necessary.
How Camera Footage Can Strengthen Your Personal Injury Case
Traffic camera footage gives the clearest version of the crash. Here’s how it can specifically help your case:
1. Clear liability
It’s one thing to say the other driver ran the red light—it’s another to show it. Footage can reveal who entered the intersection first, who failed to yield, or who made an illegal turn.
2. Speed up claims
Insurance companies often stall when fault isn’t obvious. If you submit footage showing exactly how the crash happened—and that the other driver was clearly at fault—they’re more likely to move quickly and settle the claim.
3. Supports injury claims
A hard-impact T-bone accident looks very different from a slow-speed rear-end tap. When adjusters or defense attorneys question your injuries, camera footage can show just how violent the crash was and why your injuries make sense.
4. Counteracts blame shifting
It’s common for at-fault drivers to twist the story. Even police reports may leave out key details. With the right video, you can challenge false blame and defend your version of events.
When to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer
You may think you can simply call the city and request the footage. In reality, footage gets deleted, agencies ignore you, or businesses say no. Meanwhile, your insurance claim is delayed or undervalued.
If the car accident wasn’t your fault, it’s time to bring in a lawyer. Here’s how legal help can make a difference.
You were seriously injured in the accident
If you’re dealing with medical bills, missed work, or long-term pain, you need more than just a copy of the video. A lawyer can act fast to preserve evidence and help you get fair compensation for the damage to your car and everything else the crash has cost you.
The agency won’t release the footage
If the city or Caltrans won’t release the video, a lawyer can escalate the request or subpoena it. Having legal support makes agencies take your request more seriously.
You think the other driver is lying about what happened
If the other party blames you, a lawyer can help find and use the right footage to shut down false claims before they hurt your case.
You’re dealing with an uncooperative insurance company
Some insurers will deny liability or downplay your injuries until they’re forced to see the facts. A personal injury lawyer can present the video as part of a well-documented claim and negotiate more confidently.
When the Footage Matters Most
Traffic footage offers clear proof when everything else is noise. But securing that video isn’t easy. You have to know where to look, who to ask, and how to move quickly before it disappears.
The sooner you take action, the better your chances of getting the evidence you need. And if the process stalls, or if you’re not sure how to start, consider bringing in a car accident lawyer who knows how to obtain traffic camera video of a car accident in California and get results.
RMD Law is here to support you. We’ve helped countless clients preserve crucial evidence, hold the right people accountable, and move forward after serious collisions.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
FAQs
Identify who owns the camera. Submit a formal Public Records Act (PRA) request if the entity is a government agency, and contact the owner directly for private footage.
Most agencies and private owners delete footage within seven to 30 days. Note that some cameras only stream live and don’t record at all.
Yes, but the city or a third-party vendor typically controls the footage from red-light cameras. You’ll need to file a PRA request with the city’s traffic or police department.
A personal injury lawyer can help escalate the request or pursue the footage through a subpoena.
Yes. A lawyer can preserve video before it’s deleted, file legal requests, and use the footage to support your personal injury claim.
It depends on the location—Caltrans manages highway cameras, while city or county agencies control local intersections. Businesses or homeowners may own private cameras in the vicinity.
List the date, time, and exact location of the crash. Describe the vehicles involved and attach the police report if available.
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