What Is Accident Reconstruction and Collision Analysis?

Following a car or trucking accident, you nor the other party may recall the exact events that took place. Moreover, you may have conflicting versions of what occurred, which may make it difficult for insurers or jurors to determine who was more at fault for the incident. Without a clear idea of fault, the deciding parties cannot ethically distribute compensation to the plaintiff in your car accident injury case.

To overcome this issue, insurance companies and courts utilize the help of accident reconstruction specialists and collision analysts. These professionals recreate accident scenes in ways that help to shed light on unknown questions regarding the incident. By breaking down the accident into bite-sized pieces, they can identify contributing factors to the accident — both major and minor — and, ultimately, pinpoint why the accident happened. Because of their key role in determining cause and effect, accident reconstruction specialists serve as invaluable tools for both plaintiffs and defendants in a myriad of auto accident cases.

Our team at Fielding Law has connections with specialists throughout several specialized fields. When fault in a case remains unclear, or if the other party adamantly refuses to admit fault, we call on our network to build a winning team on behalf of an injured client.

What Is Accident Reconstruction and Analysis?

Accident reconstruction and collision analysis is a form of causation forensics that involves investigating why and how an accident occurred. Reconstruction specialists determine causation in several ways, beginning with interpreting the clues that physical evidence from the accident itself left behind and ending with reconstructing and studying the events that occurred before, during and after the collision. In essence, reconstruction analysts work backward, documenting and studying the evidence from the crash to learn how it unfolded.

What Do Accident Reconstruction Specialists Do?

Reconstruction specialists use the principles from physics, mathematics and engineering to form opinions regarding everything from collision angles to driver visibility to the velocity of each vehicle leading up to and at the time of the incident. They use their findings to reveal all the factors that could possibly have played a role in the crash, such as the following:

Speeding
Loss of driver control due to a vehicle defect
Mistakes when changing lanes or turning
Failure to yield to stop signs and traffic signals
Hazardous road conditions
Visibly issues

Analysts may develop 3D models for their own purposes or to share with insurance companies or jurors. They may also submit written reports and drawings to the courts and insurers, which either party may present at trial. Accident reconstruction analysts play a role in a variety of auto accident cases, including those involving passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, buses, trains and pedestrians.

The Investigation Process

The investigation process of accident reconstruction is lengthy and involved and consists of multiple steps. Though the steps will vary from situation to situation, many investigations consist of the following:

Visiting the scene of the crash to gather both remaining physical evidence and photographic evidence
Assessing all involved vehicles, taking photographs of the damage and comparing those photos to police reports and first-party accounts
Inspecting and photographing other objects that were involved in the collision, such as trees, stop signs, buildings and animals
Gathering existing evidence of the accident, including videos from nearby surveillance cameras and photos from eyewitnesses
Reviewing and comparing all police reports and eyewitness accounts
Examining and photographing remaining physical evidence, such as tire marks on the road
Reviewing weather reports and road conditions from the day and time of the accident
Investigating the position of traffic signals and road signs to assess for visibility issues
Assessing the road surface for factors that may have contributed to the accident, such as road debris, oil on the road and black ice
Considering and investigating the possibility of any unaddressed safety hazards on one or all of the involved vehicles that may have contributed to the incident, such as burnt-out brake lights, non-working headlights and failed brakes

Once a reconstruction specialist gathers all the relevant data, he or she will hand it off to a collision analyst. The analyst will create hypotheses and test them out via accident recreation and with the help of simulation software.

Will Your Case Necessitate Accident Reconstruction?

Not all auto accident cases require help from reconstruction experts. In less complex cases, fault is either cut and dry, the negligent party admitted fault or an eyewitness watched the whole event unfold. If yours is such a case, the issue of liability may never come into question.

However, when both parties adamantly oppose liability, insurers and opposing legal counsel may call upon reconstruction analysts. Testimony, reports and animations from these professionals can help to clear up several points of contention and keep a claim moving when it would otherwise come to a halt. Some ways a collision analyst may be able to assist with your claim are as follows:

He or she can evaluate the road conditions at the time of your accident and determine what, if any, role they or the elements played in the collision. Often, analysts determine that potholes or other road hazards lead to the accident, which puts government entities at fault for failing to maintain the roads.
He or she can identify the specific errors each driver made leading up to the accident and, in the process, determine who was more at fault.
He or she can pinpoint motor vehicle defects or issues that contributed to the crash, which may entitle you to compensation via a products liability claim.

Ultimately, accident reconstruction can help to protect your rights to compensation if the defendant chooses to argue over liability. The findings that a reconstruction specialist brings to the table are almost always accurate and are something even the most tenacious of attorneys cannot dispute. If an analyst submits a report that supports your claim, there is a strong likelihood that you will recover full damages.

What Qualifies a Person as an Accident Reconstruction Specialist?

Though the work of collision analysts can greatly influence the outcomes of personal injury claims and, therefore, change the trajectory of accident victims’ lives, the courts do not require these professionals to possess any specific degree or training. Rather, the courts consider an alleged expert’s real-world experience, knowledge and training when determining his or her creditability.

That said, the most reliable reconstruction professionals have a firm grasp of and extensive experience in photogrammetry, mathematics, physics, automobile dynamics, computer applications and engineering. They also have significant experience in accident investigation, whether as a former police officer, lawyer or another related profession.

Partner With Fielding Law – Partner With a Vast Network of Professionals

At Fielding Law, we primarily represent victims of personal injury and auto accidents. By keeping our focus narrow, we possess not just the knowledge and experience necessary to effectively represent your needs but also, the resources. We partner with a vast network of professionals, each of whom we can rely on to strengthen our clients’ cases with expert and honest testimony. Within that network are several accident reconstruction specialists and collisions analysts who help us gather crucial evidence to prove our clients’ innocence and recover maximum compensation on their behalf.

If you or a loved one was injured in an auto accident, do not take a chance that the other party will admit guilt or that the insurer will see your point of view. Partner with a law firm that can help you build an unshakeable case and confidently defend your rights to compensation. Partner with Fielding Law today.

Sources:

John Desch Associates, Inc.: http://jda-inc.com/faq.htm