Tip #37: Take timestamped photos before the car moves an inch
Before a tow, photograph the car from all sides, the dashboard and the scene. Your phone stamps the date, time and often the location, and those photos settle questions about damage, mileage and what happened.
Tip #37 in one line
Before a tow, photograph the car from all sides, the dashboard and the scene. Your phone stamps the date, time and often the location, and those photos settle questions about damage, mileage and what happened.
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Call nowWhat to photograph
Walk around the car and take a photo of each corner and each side, standing far enough back to show the whole panel. Then close-ups of any damage, scrapes, dents or broken glass, including old damage, so nobody later blames it on the tow. Photograph the dashboard with the ignition on if it still powers up: odometer, fuel or charge level, and any warning lights. Take one photo of the license plate and one of the vehicle identification number through the windshield.
After a crash, add the scene: where the cars ended up, skid marks, debris, road signs, traffic signals, the other vehicles and their plates, and the weather and light. Wide shots matter as much as close ones.
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Call nowKeep the timestamps
Phone cameras save the date and time in each photo's file data, and many save the location. Leave location on for these photos. Do not edit or crop them; if you need a cropped version, make a copy. Back them up to cloud storage or email them to yourself the same day so a lost phone does not lose your evidence.
Your insurer and, after a crash, the other driver's insurer will ask for photos. In New Jersey your own PIP coverage handles your medical costs first, but vehicle damage claims still turn on what can be shown.
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Call nowThe tow has its own record
Our drivers photograph the car's condition at pickup and at delivery, especially on accident towing jobs and high-value cars. Your photos plus ours, plus the itemized receipt, make a complete record of where the car was, what condition it was in and where it went. The accident towing guide lists what else to keep for a claim.
Write a few notes in your phone the same day as well: the time you noticed the problem, the weather, what the car did, who you spoke to and what they said. Memory fades quickly after a stressful event, and a dated note made at the time is far more convincing than an account written a month later. Keep the notes with the photos so the whole record is in one place when an adjuster asks.
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Call nowMore on accidents & insurance
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- What to do after a car accident in New Jersey
- Tip #36: At a multi-car crash, get people safe before you think about the cars
- Tip #59: Check whether your policy covers roadside help, and keep the receipt either way
- Tip #60: In New Jersey, your own PIP pays your medical bills first after a crash
- Tip #61: Your insurer will ask for a claim number, photos and the police report number
- Tip #66: You can usually choose your tow, but the police decide when safety requires it
- Tip #67: A roadside club and a local tow operator each have a place, so know when to use which
- Tip #69: Getting a tow reimbursed is four steps, and the first happens at the car
- All posts
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