Columbia Traffic Camera Archive in Maryland

If you have been hurt in a car wreck in Columbia, Maryland, an attorney can review whether there is video from archived traffic cameras for where you crashed and when it occurred.

RoadProof connects injured individuals with qualified attorneys who handle cases like this and provides authorized professional access to existing records. While a search of the Columbia traffic camera archive could provide helpful evidence, it should be noted that the likelihood of having your car wreck on tape will depend on which camera is located closest to your lane of travel.

Start by identifying the approximate date of the wreck, approximate time of day (morning or afternoon), the name of the street/road involved, and the direction of travel. The information provided above will assist in determining which camera(s) are reviewing your lane versus those recording other lanes at the same intersection.

Start Your Columbia Traffic Camera Archive Search

If you already are working with an attorney, let him/her know about RoadProof so he/she may look into whether there is video of your incident. If you were involved in an injury accident and are currently without legal counsel, please submit your accident information via our website, and we will refer it to a licensed personal injury attorney for review.

We handle individual inquiries for injury-related accidents. We do not distribute video from cameras for use as evidence for those who are disputing tickets or only damaged property in the collision.

There is no requirement that you identify the specific camera(s) that recorded the incident prior to submitting an inquiry. Simply describe how the collision occurred and at what location, noting that the availability of video footage depends upon whether a relevant video recording was made.

Where to Look Around Columbia

Begin by searching in terms of the highway/road and your direction of travel rather than just the name of the area/community. Maryland’s CHART Camera Directory will list cameras along the routes such as US 29 & Broken Land Parkway, US 29 & MD 32, US 29 & MD 108.

Some of these will be listed under CHART’S Baltimore Regional listing. If you were simply searching for something titled ‘Columbia,’ you would miss many that pertain to this region.

If there is a crash where you can determine if the incident occurred on the primary route (e.g., US 29) or on either an on-ramp or off-ramp for one of these intersections, then it may have been missed by a camera that covers a different part of the intersection.

CHART is a governmental directory of cameras and NOT a complete inventory of all RoadProof recorded traffic videos. It is your lawyer who will need to verify the existence of a recording from the specific camera and at the exact date/time of your accident.

Live Camera Views and Archived Recordings Are Different

The chart shows that CHART doesn’t keep any images or videos recorded on their live cameras and can’t give you historical footage. Thus, opening a live feed after a crash won’t allow you to go back in time to where the vehicle crashed.

Likely an independent archive has saved a feed while it was available. This should be investigated independently of the fact that the government is operating the camera.

However, viewing the camera marker does not provide all of this information regarding the view. It could be pointing at a different angle, a truck could be blocking your line of sight to the accident, and the feed may have been down when the crash happened. Therefore, do not assume there will be footage because there is a camera.

What to Gather Before Requesting Footage

First, identify any immediate safety and medical issues. Write down everything you can recall about what happened. If your injuries prevent this, ask someone else (a fellow passenger, family member) for assistance.

• Time/Date: State the local time; indicate whether this is an approximation or an exact time. If you do not know exactly when, provide as close a time frame as possible.
• Specific Location: Record the closest cross-street(s), highway exit(s), and direction of travel. Take note of the nearest landmark such as a building or tree.
• Map Pin: If a map pin was provided at the crash scene, record its location.
• Vehicle Information: Identify the colors and types of all vehicles involved in the incident. Note the traffic lane where each vehicle was traveling.
• Incident Details: If applicable, include the Police Report Number. Provide a brief summary of how the accident occurred.
• Other Evidence: Document the photos taken at the accident scene, take note of witnesses who may be able to assist with your case.

Save the original file of any footage you obtained from your Dash Cam before you edit the footage into individual clips.

How Footage Can Help With a Disputed Injury Claim

Video footage can provide further information about where vehicles were located at the time of the collision (vehicle positioning), what happened first and second, and if one of the parties made a lane change. The video footage can then allow an attorney to compare those statements of the parties involved in the accident to physical evidence, such as damage to each vehicle.

However, it is equally important to realize the limits of using this type of footage. For example, if the camera was too far away from the accident scene, there would be no way to tell whether or not a traffic light had been violated, or whether or not either party could have identified which vehicle belonged to whom by reading the license plates. Additionally, viewing the speeds of the vehicles involved will not be possible.

Also, simply because a video shows the injury incident does not mean that all aspects of your injuries are shown. Medical documentation showing the extent and severity of your injuries is still necessary for you to obtain compensation.

In Maryland, a plaintiff’s contributory negligence may preclude a negligent defendant from being held liable for damages when the defendant demonstrates that the plaintiff’s own negligence caused part or all of his injuries. There are exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking, an insurer stating that a client has admitted responsibility for the accident will NOT constitute a finding of liability by a court. Therefore, legal counsel can assist you in evaluating your allegations of fault, identifying any missing pieces of evidence needed to support your claims, and understanding how Maryland law relates to your case.

Losses an Attorney May Evaluate

An attorney will assess loss based on evidence and relevant laws, so an injury claim can include claims for medical bills, lost wages, and future loss of income. Injuries that occur in Maryland are considered for both past and future medical bills and earnings losses.

There is a possibility for pain and suffering as well as other non-monetary injuries to be paid out, with limitations. Footage could provide an explanation for what happened when an injury was sustained. The footage itself, however, would not determine a fair settlement figure, nor would it ensure a client receives money.

Act Before Evidence Becomes Unavailable

Separate from your legal timeframe for filing a lawsuit, you have limited time in which to secure video footage. Don’t assume video will be available throughout the legal timeframe provided by a statute of limitations.

Generally, under Maryland’s Civil Filing Deadline Statute, civil claims must be filed with a court within three (3) years of when the claim arose unless some other provisions apply. The exact time frame for filing the complaint is determined by the specific circumstances.

Claims against county and city governments or governmental employees require notice of injury to the governmental body or employee within a one-year time frame; however, there are statutory exceptions to this requirement.

There is both a statutory notice requirement as well as the designation of the recipient for the notice of injury regarding Howard County under Maryland’s Local Government Notice Statute.

Seek input from a lawyer about your filing deadlines immediately if you suspect that a governmental vehicle or public agency may be involved. Sending in a request for footage does not constitute filing a lawsuit, nor does it meet the required notice to government.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I cannot remember the exact crash time?

If you are unable to recall the exact time the accident occurred, provide your best estimate of the time. Explain why this was the case (e.g., confusion), and save all of the documents which helped you narrow down the timing (i.e., call logs, photos, messages from others at the time, police/ambulance response records). Your lawyer will then have those items as reference points against which he/she can compare your testimony during trial.

Can footage help if the actual impact is outside the frame?

Yes. A video recording can still contain useful information. For example, it could depict a vehicle coming into the area where there were two vehicles, one of the vehicles moving out of the lane of travel prior to making contact with another vehicle, a vehicle leaving the location after contact had been made, etc. How much use can be made of such a video record would depend upon how clearly it depicts what is being shown and what else can be confirmed through other means (i.e., witness testimony, photos taken at the scene, damage to both vehicles).

Will a recording automatically be accepted in court?

No. The State of Maryland has specific rules regarding the admission of physical evidence. In order to get a video record admitted into evidence, there needs to be adequate proof that what is presented is actually what the person submitting it claims it is.

Your attorney will review all applicable state laws/rules governing the submission and acceptance of such evidence and ensure that they meet all legal criteria before presenting it in court. It would also be helpful to maintain the original video recording along with documentation on how it came into existence.

Can I pursue an injury claim if no camera recorded my crash?

Yes. The fact that there was no video recording does not preclude you from filing a claim. If there are witnesses who saw the incident occur, photographs taken at the time of the incident, medical records documenting your injuries, damage to one or both vehicles involved in the incident, etc., your attorney should be able to evaluate all of these factors to see if they can support your claim.

Ask About Footage From Your Columbia Accident

Columbia traffic camera archive inquiry begins by providing the details of your crash. If you’ve been hurt in this crash, you can provide the information on our road proof accident inquiry form to obtain an attorney referral. Or you may already be represented and simply want your attorney to contact us regarding possible footage. Please include the location of your crash; the date of your crash; the approximate time your crash occurred; and whether you are currently being represented. We will then confirm whether there is available footage for viewing, and we’ll discuss your situation with one of our licensed attorneys.