Video and vehicle records to preserve after a crash
A dashcam, business camera, trip record, or event data recorder may hold different information. Not every vehicle has the same data, and there is no universal overwrite period for all cameras. A lawyer may need to identify the custodian and the records relevant to the crash.
Sources: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court (1998) 18 Cal.4th 1 ↗
What an event data recorder may show
Keep original files where possible and note where they came from. Avoid editing the only copy, logging into another person’s account, or disturbing a vehicle needed for inspection. Record an accurate description of what you know without claiming that a missing video proves fault.
Sources: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court (1998) 18 Cal.4th 1 ↗
How to request preservation without accessing private accounts
For a useful review, keep the following information together. You do not need to enter it on this website.
- The actual policy, bill, report, or notice involved.
- Dates and facts that could change which rule applies.
- The questions you want an attorney to answer before you take a step.
Sources: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court (1998) 18 Cal.4th 1 ↗
READ THE DECISIONS
Court decisions relevant to car accident evidence: dashcams, vehicle data, and video
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court
(1998) 18 Cal.4th 1, pp. 8–13
The court discussed evidence rules and case sanctions as responses to lost evidence in the setting before it.
Limits of this decision: It did not create a separate tort claim for that first-party evidence loss. Other facts and rules may differ.
Read the opinion ↗Review information for this guide is recorded above. Read each decision with its stated limits.
Legal and agency sources for this page
Use the sources to read the underlying rule or current official process. A source link is not personal legal advice.
- Vehicle Code §9951 — Vehicle event data ↗
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court (1998) 18 Cal.4th 1 ↗
Reviewed by Andrew Ronald Gillin · 2026-11-05 · Review and correction process