How Accident Reconstruction Can Strengthen Your Claim

In many accidents, the parties involved have contradictory statements about how the accident occurred. Drivers may have been looking in different directions, distracted, or not paying attention, which can make their versions of events less than accurate. Adding to the complexity is that motor vehicle accidents may be traumatic, so car accident victims may suffer from PTSD or other conditions that disturb the clarity surrounding these events. Victims can also suffer head injuries and other injuries that can leave them disoriented.

When liability or the facts surrounding an accident are in dispute, accident reconstruction can be a powerful tool that can strengthen your accident claim. A third-party investigator may be able to determine how an accident occurred and who is legally at fault.

What Is Accident Reconstruction?

Accident reconstruction is a scientific process that uses available evidence to determine how an accident likely happened. Accident reconstruction experts create a visual representation of the accident by evaluating evidence such as:

• Driver behavior: Accident reconstruction experts may examine each driver’s behavior before the accident, including speed, braking, and lane changes.
• Vehicle dynamics: Accident reconstructionists may analyze the movements of the vehicles and their unique characteristics.
• Physical evidence: Expert reconstructionists can analyze skid marks, the damage to each vehicle, other property damage, collision points, and debris patterns to recreate events.
• Roadway conditions: Expert witnesses can also analyze the condition of the road and weather to estimate how the crash occurred.

What Evidence Do Accident Reconstruction Experts Evaluate?

Accident reconstruction experts use various evidence, such as:

• Event data recorders: Modern vehicles have electronic systems that are similar to the black boxes found in airplanes. They may record information immediately before the accident that can be pertinent to determining the cause of the accident or the mechanics involved in it, such as brake patterns, speed, and GPS location.
• Damage to the vehicles: The location and intensity of damage to each vehicle can be critical to determining how the crash occurred.
• Videos: Video footage may be available that captured part of the accident or the actions leading up to it. Videos may come from dash cams, red light cameras, business surveillance cameras, or passersby.
• Pictures: Pictures taken with your cellphone after the accident or those captured by law enforcement can also be valuable evidence that helps reconstruct the accident.
• Accident reports: Law enforcement officers may have drawn diagrams or provided other helpful information that accident reconstruction experts can use to recreate the events.
• Witness statements: Accident reconstruction experts can verify if accounts from objective bystanders align with what one of the drivers is saying.
• Crash test reports: Accident reconstruction experts may review crash test reports to see how these vehicles respond in a collision at different speeds.
• Medical records: Accident reconstruction experts may also evaluate medical records for those who were injured in the accident.

Ultimately, this information helps accident reconstruction experts provide clarity around how the accident happened. Insurance companies, judges, juries, and your car accident lawyer in San Antonio can evaluate this information when determining liability and damages.

We Can Help with Accident Reconstruction

As a leading personal injury law firm in San Antonio, The Aguirre Law Firm, PLLC has resources for accident reconstructionists and other expert witnesses who can help strengthen your legal claims. We can hire an appropriate reconstruction expert, help develop evidence to use in court or during negotiations, and prepare the witness for trial, if necessary. Contact us today for a free consultation.