A car accident can happen in millions of possibilities and different ways. That’s why car accident attorneys often employ the use of a certified accident reconstructionist. These experts can look at a vast array of evidence left behind by the car accident and determine speeds, impact forces, braking distances, and more to depict how the accident occurred accurately. Liability in car accidents is often contested. This means that a person may blame you for being at fault when, in reality, their own negligence caused that accident. That is why employing a qualified expert car accident reconstructionist may be the perfect thing to aid you in your case.
What is the primary goal of accident reconstruction?
Ultimately, if you have been in a car accident, the insurance company will likely dispute liability. The company is saying that you are at fault for the accident, whether completely or partially (this would be comparative fault). In reality, however, you may have had zero fault in causing the car accident, and the insurance company is attempting to save as much money as possible. It happens. That’s where auto accident reconstruction comes in.
An accident reconstruction expert can look at the evidence surrounding the auto accident and determine who was at fault. They do this by compiling the evidence and reverse engineering it to develop a conclusion about how the accident occurred and the events leading up to it. An expert car accident reconstructionist may be able to look at the evidence and determine any of the following:
- If a party to the accident ran a red light or a stop sign.
- If a party to the accident was speeding.
- If someone was distracted while they were driving, possibly making inputs on their phone.
- If poor visibility was a contributing factor to the accident.
- If the road itself was overly dangerous and a factor leading to the accident.
- If a party to the auto accident failed to use a turn signal before making a lane change or a turn.
- And so much more.
Considering all of this, an expert accident reconstructionist will be able to analyze the evidence and determine who is at fault for a car accident.
What evidence will an accident reconstructionist use?
An accident reconstruction expert will use a plethora of evidence to make a logical and factual finding of who caused an accident. Some of these pieces of evidence include:
- A vehicle's electronic “black box”
- Debris in the roadway
- The impact location on the vehicles
- Tire marks in the roadway
- The relative statements of the parties
- Any video evidence, if available
- The weather
The expert’s job is to use all available factors to make an informed and educated decision on how the accident occurred. Typically, once the expert weighs all these factors, they will make a decision as to how the collision took place, who is at fault, and how severe it was.
Why is an accident reconstruction expert important in my case?
There are many reasons why an auto accident reconstruction expert may be vital to the success of your personal injury claim. The first is proving who is at fault for the car accident. The other very important reason is to assess the severity of the damages to the parties in the vehicle. The fault of a car accident may be so clear that no insurance company can dispute who caused it; what they can still dispute, however, is the severity of the injuries it causes. A skilled accident reconstruction expert can look at the evidence and determine how severe the forces are. For instance, it's more than possible that a collision that occurred at a slow rate of speed will have a significant impact if it’s a large commercial vehicle versus a small personal vehicle. A skilled accident reconstruction expert will be able to make this determination.
It is also possible that the people who caused the accident may hire their own accident reconstruction expert. That expert could seek to protect their client and put you at fault for the auto accident, even when that isn’t entirely true. That’s why you or your personal injury attorney must hire a qualified, trusted, and honest car accident reconstruction expert to evaluate the car accident you were involved in and offer their report.
Are accident reconstruction experts just for car accidents?
No. A qualified accident reconstruction expert can often provide valuable input and testimony to various accidents. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Forklift accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bus accidents
- Boat accidents
- Train accidents
- Tractor accidents
Accident reconstructionists are engineers at heart; they use science to determine an accident's cause, speed, intensity, and severity that may give rise to a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact Chandler Law for a free case evaluation.
If you have been in any kind of automotive accident in California. Our personal injury accident lawyers are ready to assist you with your case. We have settlements and jury verdicts totaling over $100,000,000.00 for our clients. All our work is done on a contingency basis, meaning you pay us nothing until we recover money for you.
Schedule a free case evaluation with a Fresno personal injury accident attorney at Chandler Law by contacting us at (559) 825-2318. Hablamos español.