Services
Document a loss
Support a claim
For carriers and employers
Service areas
Middle Tennessee
- Nashville
- Clarksville
- Murfreesboro
- Franklin
- Hendersonville
- Smyrna
- Spring Hill
- Gallatin
- Lebanon
- Columbia
- Brentwood
- Mount Juliet
- La Vergne
- Cookeville
East Tennessee
West Tennessee
Accident Scene Documentation by Collision Type and Conditions
How a collision happened, and the conditions it happened in, decide what evidence exists and how long it lasts. These pages cover scene documentation by collision configuration and roadway environment.
- Coverage
- 95 of 95 counties
- Dispatch
- 24 / 7 / 365
- Metro response
- Under 60 min avg.
- Statewide
- 4-hour guarantee
The scene is the part of the claim that will not wait
Tennessee applies modified comparative fault, so the allocation of responsibility between drivers often decides what a claim is worth. That allocation is argued from physical facts: where the vehicles came to rest, what the driver could see, how the lanes were marked, whether the signal head was visible, how wet the surface was. Most of those facts are available for a short time only.
A field investigator documents the scene as a set of conditions rather than a single photograph: approach views from each direction at driver eye height, lane and sign layout, surface condition, lighting at the relevant hour, and the marks and debris the collision left. The pages below explain what that looks like for each collision type and each kind of roadway environment.
Documentation by collision type and environment
Twenty-one scenarios, from parking lots to interstates.
- Accident With No Dashcam FootageNo video of the collision? DCD investigators document the scene, measure physical evidence and canvass nearby cameras anywhere in Tennessee.
- Parking Lot AccidentNeutral documentation of parking lot collisions in Tennessee: stall and aisle layout, painted markings, low-speed damage and storefront camera canvass.
- Intersection AccidentSignal heads, lane assignments, stop bars, corner sightlines and impact evidence recorded by licensed Tennessee investigators after an intersection crash.
- Rear-End CollisionBumper-level damage, brake lamp condition, pre-impact tire marks and traffic conditions documented neutrally after a rear-end collision in Tennessee.
- Side-Impact CollisionDoor intrusion, contact location, yaw marks and driveway or median access points documented neutrally after a side-impact collision in Tennessee.
- Head-On CollisionCenterline evidence, area of impact, frontal overlap, curve and crest sight distance documented by licensed investigators after a head-on collision.
- Multi-Vehicle AccidentEvery vehicle, every contact and the full scene recorded under one numbering scheme after a chain collision or pileup anywhere in Tennessee.
- Hit-and-RunVehicle fragments, paint transfer, departure marks and nearby cameras documented after a hit-and-run. Neutral field documentation across Tennessee.
- Backing AccidentBlind areas, mirror and camera views, reverse alarms and dock or driveway layout documented neutrally after a backing collision in Tennessee.
- Lane-Change & Sideswipe AccidentScrape direction, first contact points, mirror damage, lane markings and merge tapers documented neutrally after a Tennessee sideswipe collision.
- Rollover AccidentYaw marks, trip point, roll path, roadside slope and roof damage documented by licensed investigators after a rollover crash anywhere in Tennessee.
- Roadway Debris AccidentNeutral field documentation of roadway debris accidents in Tennessee: the object, its position, strike damage and gouge marks, recorded before cleanup.
- Nighttime & Low-Light AccidentField documentation of nighttime collisions in Tennessee. Investigators return at the same hour to record lighting, visibility and approach views.
- Poor-Visibility AccidentNeutral documentation of Tennessee collisions involving fog, sun glare, smoke or spray, including sun-angle visits and terrain that holds fog.
- Rain & Wet-Road AccidentNeutral documentation of wet-road collisions in Tennessee: pavement surface, wheel-path ruts, drainage, tire tread and faint wet-surface tire marks.
- Flooded Roadway AccidentDocumentation of flooded-roadway incidents in Tennessee: high-water marks, debris lines, barricade placement, culverts and water lines on the vehicle.
- Construction-Zone AccidentField documentation of work-zone collisions in Tennessee. Advance signs, tapers, barrels, lane shifts and drop-offs recorded before the next phase.
- Road Hazard & Pavement DefectMeasured documentation of potholes, shoulder drop-offs, broken pavement and utility cuts in Tennessee, recorded before the defect is patched.
- Traffic-Control & Signage IssueNeutral documentation of stop signs, signals, pavement markings and street lighting at Tennessee collision sites, recorded before repairs are made.
- Interstate & Highway AccidentField documentation of interstate and highway collisions across Tennessee: mile-marker location, ramps, barriers, shoulders and marks left after clearing.
- Rural Road AccidentDocumentation of collisions on Tennessee county and farm roads: narrow lanes, hill crests, hidden drives, ditches and crops that change the view.
From request to delivered record
- RequestCall dispatch or submit the request form with the location, loss type and urgency.
- DeployDispatch assigns the nearest available licensed field investigator through the statewide network.
- DocumentPhotographs, video, measurements and factual notes are captured once the scene is safe to work.
- PreserveFiles are timestamped, organized and kept in their original form with a record of who captured them.
- ReportThe package is delivered securely to the requesting party, typically the same day.
When there is no video and no agreement
Many requests arrive because two drivers describe the same collision differently and no camera recorded it. In that situation the roadway itself is the remaining witness. Tire marks show where braking began. Debris and fluid show roughly where contact occurred. Sight distance measured from each approach shows what each driver had the opportunity to see.
A scene visit can also establish what recordings might exist. Investigators note storefront, residential and traffic cameras that face the roadway so the requesting party can ask the owners for footage before it is overwritten.
On this assignment Delator field personnel record what is physically present: photographs, video, measurements and factual notes. They do not adjust, appraise or value the loss, do not determine coverage, cause or fault, and do not represent any party to the claim.
Delator Claims Division is not a law firm, an insurer or an engineering firm, and nothing on this page is legal advice.
Common questions
Is it worth documenting a scene days or weeks later?
Often, yes. Roadway geometry, signage, sightlines, lighting and many gouge marks persist well after debris and tire marks are gone. The record will state clearly what was observed on the visit date and what could no longer be found.
Do you decide who was at fault?
No. Scene documentation is neutral. It records physical conditions and measurements and leaves fault allocation to the adjuster, the attorneys, or the court.
Can a visit be timed to match the conditions of the crash?
Yes. A night collision can be documented at the same hour, and a sun-glare or wet-road question can be scheduled for comparable conditions where practical. Tell dispatch what condition matters when you place the request.
Will you look for cameras near the scene?
Investigators note cameras with a view of the roadway and can ask owners whether footage exists. Footage belongs to its owner and is requested, never taken. See the surveillance video canvass page for the full service.
Deployed statewide
Request documentation anywhere in Tennessee
Dispatch is staffed around the clock. For time-sensitive scenes, calling is fastest; the request form works for routine and scheduled assignments.