Stephen Hasner | Personal Injury | August 23, 2023
Being injured in a personal injury claim can be overwhelming as you heal from your physical and emotional injuries and try to understand your legal options. When filing a personal injury claim, it is important you understand how surveillance footage could be used in your case.
At Hasner Law, our trusted personal injury lawyers have 80 years of combined experience helping clients pursue justice after they are harmed in a personal injury accident. To better understand how surveillance footage could affect your claim, contact our team of experienced legal professionals for more information and to begin building a strong claim.
What Are the Different Types of Surveillance?
Two forms of surveillance footage are commonly utilized in the case of a personal injury claim. These two types of surveillance footage are direct surveillance and digital surveillance.
Direct Surveillance Footage
Direct surveillance is conducted in person by someone who takes photographs or videos of a plaintiff’s daily activities. This footage may include the following:
- A person’s travel to and from work
- Grocery shopping
- Participaticipation in social activities
- Performing household tasks
Your lawyer can help you understand if the direct surveillance being used in your personal injury claim is admissible in court.
Digital Surveillance Footage
As social media and smartphones become more and more prevalent in today’s society, digital surveillance is becoming more common in personal injury claims. In many cases, evidence is made available by the plaintiff themself by publishing photographs, videos, or posting publicly on their social media or other digital profiles. That is why it is important to try to stay off of social media or restrict yourself from posting anything which could affect your personal injury case for the duration of the claims process.
Why Is Surveillance Footage Used in Personal Injury Claims?
The purpose of utilizing surveillance footage in a personal injury claim is to obtain evidence that may compromise your claims. Surveillance footage is often used in the following types of cases:
- Cases involving high financial claims
- When a claim is made for chronic pain
- Cases involving invisible injuries which may be seen by insurance companies as subjective and challengeable
Surveillance may go on for weeks, months, or longer, depending on the case. For many individuals who become the subject of surveillance, it can often feel as though their privacy has been invaded. While it may be uncomfortable, surveillance from a public space is legal.
While recording surveillance in a public space may be legal in a personal injury claim, you still retain your basic privacy rights. Therefore, in the event that an invasion of privacy occurs and someone is snooping around your property or conducting surveillance in an intrusive or unreasonable manner, this footage would not be admissible in court. Your lawyer can help ensure that you have a strong claim and that all surveillance being used by the other party is legal as they help you maintain your claims and credibility.
Get Help From a Trusted Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you have become the subject of surveillance in relation to your personal injury claim, you may be feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. That is why it is vital that you are able to retain the help of one of our personal injury lawyers with the experience to help you build a strong claim that will hold up your claims and credibility.
Hasner Law is a Georgia personal injury law firm passionate about helping clients after they have suffered harm in an accident. Our team of lawyers offers the caring and compassionate legal counsel you deserve as you seek justice for your losses. To schedule a free consultation, contact us here or call (678) 928-8784.
