Dash cams for insurance claims

[projekktor id=’13928′]

A video sent to us by a CHCH viewer shows how a dashboard camera can help prove your case in an insurance claim. In the video — that is said to have happened in Hamilton — we clearly see a pickup truck back up and ram a car.

Nothings makes your case better than video evidence as we’re about to see.

It seems innocent enough. A driver allows a truck to back out of its spot.

As the driver pulls up behind and waits, the unthinkable happens.

Without the dashcam this would be a case of he said she said. Andrew Miller with Catan Recreation Corp. specializes in dash cams, and knows their worth: “Protection against scams like ‘the back up scam’ where someone backs into you intentionally and demands money or they’ll call the cops.”

This dash cam on highway 11 in Thunder Bay catches a truck dangerously passng a snowplow — despite the presence of on coming vehicles.

The OPP were able to enhance the footage and later charged a 31-year old man from Milton.

They are clearly handy to have — so why aren’t they everywhere?

Andrew says: “Probably the biggest reason why people aren’t using it is awareness. They are very simple to install. Most people come to see me after the accident wishing they had one before the incident.”

Drivers get a discount on their auto insurance if they have airbags or an alarm, but you don’t get one for having a dash cam. But if you take footage to your insurance that’s shows you’re not at fault, you can have your deductible waived.

Bill Kiely is with State Farm Insurance: “Anytime a customer by choice has one in their vehicle, it certainly would help everyone get the truth of what happened that day.”

Dashcams may help guard against fraud, which costs consumers millions each year. But they also catch wonders of nature like this meteor. It landed in Russia in February of 2013.

Andrew Miller said the base model of a dasm cam can run you $79. His most popular one is $109. Now you can use a GoPro or a cellphone. But dash cams are better because you don’t have to take the footage down and erase it and put it back. It also starts and stops with your car. And it is also able to run for about 11 hours. And that cost is a worthwhile piece of insurance.