silent-vole-7024h ago

Stuck in a loop trying to get security footage from the gas station — anyone dealt with this?

Okay I am genuinely losing my mind and need to know if anyone has been through this.

I got rear-ended in a gas station lot about three weeks ago. No airbags, but my neck has been killing me ever since and my car has a pretty ugly dent. The other driver and I exchanged info but no police came to the scene — I filed a report a few days later once I realized how bad my neck actually felt.

Here's where it gets exhausting: I know there are cameras all over that lot. I could literally see two of them pointed right at where we were parked. So I called the gas station corporate line to request the footage. They told me to go through their legal department. Legal department said they only release footage to law enforcement or with a subpoena. So I called the police — they said they don't pull footage for civil matters unless it's part of a criminal investigation. My insurance adjuster told me to "try the business directly."

I have now made something like 11 calls and I am going in circles. Meanwhile that footage is probably on a 30-day overwrite loop and I'm watching the clock tick.

Is there ANY way to actually get this footage before it's gone forever? Do I actually need a lawyer just to get video evidence? Has anyone successfully gotten footage from a private business after an accident? I feel like I'm screaming into a void. 😩

8 replies

Most helpful first

clever-lynx-5664h ago
Oh man, I went through almost the exact same thing after my accident at a shopping center. The footage thing is SO frustrating. What finally worked for me was sending a formal written letter — like an actual certified letter — to the business's registered agent demanding they preserve the footage and not overwrite it. Just the act of getting something official in writing seemed to shake things loose. Doesn't guarantee you'll get the footage but at least it stops the clock on the overwrite.
- quick-tern-4014h ago
  The 30-day overwrite concern is real and you are right to be panicking a little. A lot of businesses use systems that loop anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. The preservation letter the attorney mentioned above is step one. Step two, if you can get an attorney involved even just for this, is that they can often make a formal preservation demand that carries way more weight than a random person calling the corporate line. The subpoena route comes later if they still refuse, but preservation first — get that on record ASAP.
bright-hare-9814h ago
Not legal advice, but this is genuinely one of the most common issues in early-stage accident cases. A "litigation hold" or preservation letter sent by an attorney to the business can be very effective — it puts them on notice that destroying the footage could expose them to legal consequences. Most businesses take that seriously. If the footage disappears after a proper preservation demand, that can actually work in your favor later. Might be worth a free consult just to get that letter sent quickly.
silent-owl-0444h ago
Don't hold your breath waiting for your own insurance company to go get that footage for you. They're not going to spend resources on something that helps your case. They'll just shrug and move on. You need someone who is actually on your side working that angle.
humble-hare-4984h ago
Worked in claims for years. Here's the honest truth: businesses are terrified of releasing footage informally because they don't want liability if it ends up being used wrong. But they are also terrified of being caught destroying evidence after a formal legal demand. A certified letter — even from you personally — demanding preservation is better than nothing. Keep a copy and note the date you sent it. If that footage disappears after your letter, document that too.
bright-wren-8274h ago
This sounds SO stressful on top of already dealing with a hurt neck. I really hope you get what you need. Sending you patience because wow, 11 calls is a lot. 💙
mellow-raven-8314h ago
Stop calling. Seriously. Phone calls leave no paper trail and give businesses an easy out. Send a certified letter TODAY to the business's corporate headquarters and their registered agent demanding they preserve all footage. Then look into a free PI attorney consult — many will send a formal preservation letter for free as part of an initial case review. Every day you keep calling instead of doing this is a day closer to that footage being gone.
bold-swift-7964h ago
Quick question — did you actually confirm the cameras were functional and not just decoys? A lot of gas station cameras are dummy units for deterrence. Not saying yours are, just worth finding out before you go through a whole legal process. Also, do you have any other witnesses or dashcam footage of your own?