Rear-ended on the interstate and my dashcam footage was basically worthless — learned my lesson
So this happened a few months back and I'm still a little salty about how it played out.
I was cruising on the interstate, totally normal conditions, when someone slammed into the back of my car. The impact was hard enough to send me into the guardrail. Not a fun afternoon.
Here's the thing — I had a dashcam. Felt pretty smug about it, honestly. But it was front-facing only. When the other driver's insurance got involved, she told them I had cut her off and slammed my brakes for no reason. Complete fabrication. My front footage showed I was traveling at a consistent speed, no erratic movement, no lane changes. But it showed absolutely nothing about what was happening behind me — how close she was sitting on my bumper, whether she even touched her brakes before impact, any of it.
Her insurer basically shrugged and said it was a he-said-she-said situation. I ended up eating my deductible and my rates crept up at renewal. Infuriating.
My brother-in-law (who drives a company vehicle and has seen this play out before) told me a dual-channel setup with a rear-facing lens would have captured everything I needed — her following distance, her speed before impact, whether brake lights came on. All of it admissible and clear.
I've since upgraded to a front-and-rear setup. Haven't had to use the footage thankfully, but I feel way less exposed now.
Anyone here actually had rear dashcam footage make a difference in how their claim was handled? Curious if it's actually changed outcomes for people or if insurers still find ways to dismiss it.