What Is Accident Reconstruction for a Car Accident?

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Accident Reconstruction ExpertWhen people disagree on what caused an accident or on details like the speed at which the vehicles traveled before impact, lawyers sometimes use accident reconstruction experts. These professionals perform scientific analysis of the vehicles, people, equipment, and the scene of the accident.

An accident reconstruction expert’s report can help us in settlement negotiations and, if need be, in the trial. Call the Kirkland auto accident lawyers at Max Meyers Law at 425-399-7000 today, to schedule a free consultation and case review.

Evidence Used by Experts for an Accident Reconstruction for a Car Accident

Accident reconstruction experts can evaluate what actually happened by exploring the evidence and applying accepted scientific principles and formulas. For example:

  • Photographs of the vehicles and the scene of the accident: show the points of impact, the location of the collision, where each vehicle came to rest after the crash, and other local details.
  • Videos: when security video or other recordings are available, the expert can calculate precise details. They can also measure distances, speeds, and time and determine the sequence of events.
  • Measurements: the experts can go to the scene and make their own measurements, which can support or challenge the police report. Let’s say that the police report accuses you of causing an accident. Through taking her own measurements of the accident scene, an accident reconstruction expert might be able to prove that the police report was inaccurate and that the other driver caused the wreck.
  • Physical evidence: can establish what happened before, during, and after the crash. The vehicles are physical evidence. When the expert examines the points of impact and extent of the damage to the vehicles, he might be able to prove that one of the parties is lying about who was at fault or the speed at which the vehicles traveled. The expert can also obtain valuable information from pieces that broke off of the cars.
  • Related documents: if someone is claiming that brake failure or some other equipment malfunction caused the collision, an engineer may be able to review the specifications, engineering reports, and other manufacturing documents to evaluate the equipment in question.

Methods used for accident reconstruction for a car accident, include:

  • Accident simulation
  • Video analysis
  • Impact testing
  • Photogrammetry
  • Computational analysis
  • Other methods

Accident reconstruction experts analyze cases involving:

How We Can Use Accident Reconstruction to Help Prove Your Case

Judges and juries like to see scientific evidence. In motor vehicle accident cases, one category of scientific evidence is accident reconstruction (AR).

AR experts can show the judge and jury calculations, computer simulations, and other scholarly evidence to build our case on issues like these:

  • Whether the occupant of a vehicle was wearing a seat belt
  • If a seat malfunctioned
  • A vehicle’s speed
  • How long before impact a driver hit the brakes
  • What happened after the driver braked
  • The sequence of events that led to the crash, who hit who first, and what happened throughout the entire event
  • Environmental factors
  • What caused the event
  • Additional contributory factors

An Accident Reconstruction Example

An SUV struck a bicyclist in an intersection. The SUV driver accused the bicyclist of drifting to the left side of the street, hitting the SUV head-on. The bicyclist sustained head injuries and had no memory of the event.

The AR experts proved that the SUV driver was lying and that the SUV driver was at fault. The driver turned right at the intersection, hitting the bike, that was going through the intersection in the bike path. The SUV driver failed to yield right of way to through traffic. The crash could not have happened the way that the SUV driver claimed that it did.

The AR expert proved these vital factors by:

  • Analyzing the police report and photographs
  • Visiting the scene of the accident and taking precise measurements
  • Looking at the damage to the SUV and the bike
  • Evaluating the bike rider’s injuries

Getting Help for Your Motor Vehicle Accident

There is a statute of limitations in Washington state for car accidents, so it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after a car accident. We can help you through every step of the process, including settlement or trial discussions, collecting evidence, working with accident reconstruction experts, and more.

Call us today at 425-399-7000, to arrange your free consultation. We will not charge you to evaluate your case.

Max Meyers
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Max is a Kirkland personal injury attorney handling cases in Seattle, King County & surrounding in WA State.