WGK Personal Injury Lawyers | November 4, 2025 | Car Accidents
The injured victim has the burden of proof in a car accident case. They must have evidence establishing the other driver’s liability. In most cases, this means the victim must demonstrate how the crash happened and how the other driver’s actions contributed to it.
Photos and video footage can provide compelling evidence of liability. They might show exactly what occurred, including each driver’s movements and actions before and during the crash.
As a result, car accident lawyers will often investigate whether any cameras, including traffic cameras, near the accident site captured images of the collision.
Traffic Cameras in Use in Maryland
Maryland law provides guidelines for two types of camera systems for traffic enforcement. Additionally, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) uses cameras to monitor traffic conditions.
These camera systems may capture relevant footage at or near a crash scene for an injury case. However, plaintiffs might find it difficult to obtain the images captured by these camera systems for a few reasons.
Traffic Monitoring Cameras
Traffic monitoring cameras provide real-time images of major roads, highways, and bridges. These cameras have the potential to provide the most relevant video footage of a crash. However, according to MDOT, these cameras only provide live feeds and do not store historic footage or images.
Red Light Enforcement Cameras
Red light enforcement cameras are positioned at certain intersections by Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Specifically, these cameras are placed at dangerous intersections with high volumes of crashes to ticket drivers who run red lights and, thus, deter this risky behavior.
Red light cameras operate by detecting when a traffic signal changes to red and whether any vehicles are moving after the light change. If triggered, the camera takes a picture of the vehicle’s license plate. The agency operating the system reviews the footage and issues a civil citation for the traffic violation.
Maryland law does not specify how long these systems must maintain the photos captured. Thus, crash victims cannot rely on these systems for images of their crashes. Moreover, these systems only capture still images of the license plate and, thus, might not help to prove how a crash occurred.
Speed Enforcement Cameras
Baltimore City and Baltimore County also use speed enforcement cameras. These cameras detect when a vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit and capture images of its license plate.
Again, the agency operating the cameras uses these photos to issue civil citations for speeding. As with red light cameras, agencies are not required to retain the images captured.
Moreover, since the photos only show the license plate, they might not capture anything relevant to the cause of a collision.
Alternatives To Official Cameras for Video Footage
Since traffic camera footage could be unavailable or irrelevant to your crash claim, your lawyer might investigate whether other types of camera systems captured more relevant footage.
Security cameras operated by businesses, private individuals, and government agencies might have relevant images or footage of a crash. Since they are used specifically to capture possible crimes, the footage from these cameras is often held for a longer period.
Your lawyer might investigate the crash scene to search for the following types of security cameras:
- Doorbell cameras
- ATM cameras
- Security cameras
- Bridge or other infrastructure security cameras
Your lawyer can request that the camera owner voluntarily release the footage or images. If the owner refuses, your lawyer might be able to subpoena the camera images or footage.
Gathering Video Footage Evidence for a Car Accident Claim
Video footage can provide valuable evidence of a crash. However, traffic camera recordings are often unavailable or provide little help in proving what happened. Instead, your lawyer may look for security footage or turn to more traditional sources of evidence, such as eyewitnesses, to prove how a crash occurred.
For more information contact the Baltimore car accident law firm of WGK Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers
14 W Madison St, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
(410) 837-2144
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers – Dundalk Office
7329 Holabird Ave Suite 3, Dundalk, MD 21222
By appointment only
(410) 970-3080
