Can Police Body Camera Video Help My Michigan Injury Case?
When officers respond to a Michigan crash, their body-worn cameras often capture the scene, what the drivers said, and how people looked right after impact. Departments increasingly use AI to transcribe and blur this footage. Body camera video can be strong evidence for an injured person, but it does not stay available for long, so timing is everything.
Why the footage can matter so much
A body camera records the moments memory and paperwork tend to lose. On the video you may hear the other driver admit fault or apologize, see skid marks and vehicle positions before anything is moved, and see your own visible injuries and pain at the scene.
That is exactly the kind of proof that decides a disputed claim. An admission caught on camera is far harder for an insurer to walk back than a line in a report written later.
Michigan has a specific law for this video
Michigan does not leave body camera recordings to guesswork. A dedicated statute governs how long agencies keep them and when the public can get them.
You request the footage through Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, MCL 15.231 and following, by sending a written request to the agency that responded to your crash.
The 30-day trap
The 30-day figure is a minimum, not a promise. Some footage is kept far longer, but routine crash video can be overwritten once the minimum period passes. If you wait, the most important evidence in your case may already be gone.
- Identify the responding agency, which may be a city police department, county sheriff, or the Michigan State Police.
- Send a written FOIA request quickly, and separately ask the agency in writing to preserve the recording.
- Include the date, time, and location of the crash and any report or incident number.
When the video is harder to get
Not every recording is handed over on request. The statute and FOIA carry narrow exemptions, and there is a specific wrinkle when a lawsuit is involved.
For a typical crash where the police are not a party, a prompt FOIA request is usually the right path. When a public agency is a defendant, the video still comes out, just through litigation rather than a FOIA request.
Where AI comes in, and why to double-check it
Agencies now use AI to manage this video. AI systems transcribe the audio into text and automatically blur faces, license plates, and bystanders before release. These tools save time, but they are not perfect. Automatic redaction can blur something you needed to see, and an AI transcript can mishear a key phrase. If a redaction hides relevant evidence or a transcript looks wrong, that can be raised and the original can be sought. In court, the video itself has to be authenticated under Michigan Rule of Evidence 901, and the recording, not a summary, is the best evidence of what it shows.
| Body camera question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| How long must the agency keep it? | At least 30 days for evidentiary recordings |
| How do I request it? | A written FOIA request to the responding agency |
| Can it capture the other driver admitting fault? | Yes, on-scene statements are often recorded |
| What if I am suing the agency itself? | You get it through discovery, not FOIA, in that case |
| Is AI blurring or transcription final? | No, faulty redaction or transcripts can be challenged |
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon should I request body camera video?
As soon as possible, ideally within days of the crash. Because agencies only have to keep evidentiary footage for 30 days, waiting risks losing it. A written preservation request adds protection.
Do I have a right to the footage?
Body camera recordings are generally public records under Michigan’s FOIA, subject to narrow exemptions. You request them in writing from the agency that responded to your crash.
What if the video is blurred or the transcript is wrong?
AI redaction and transcription are aids, not the final word. If an automatic blur hides relevant evidence or a transcript is inaccurate, that can be raised, and the original recording remains the controlling evidence.
Can I get the video if the police are the ones I am suing?
Yes, but through a different route. When you sue the agency that holds the recording, it is obtained through the discovery process in that lawsuit rather than a FOIA request.
Think body camera video could support your Michigan crash case?
Free consultation with Manny Chahal, no fee unless we recover, call 1-844-624-2425
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