In the aftermath of many collisions here in Colorado, at least one driver involved is not sure how it all happened. One minute, you are driving along, minding your own business, and the next, you hear the crunch of metal and feel the violent impact of another vehicle crashing into yours.
Even if you saw the other vehicle coming toward you, you may not understand what happened. This is where an accident reconstruction expert could prove invaluable, especially if you intend to file a personal injury claim against the driver deemed at fault.
How does the process work?
Reconstructing an accident involves a lot of math and science. A reconstruction may not be able to tell you whether a driver was on his or her cell phone, drunk or drowsy, but it can explain the mechanics of the crash. The accident reconstruction expert examines the crash site, takes measurements and maps the scene with surveying equipment. He or she then creates the reconstruction using algorithms and computer software.
Accident specialists will also inspect the vehicles for damages, along with their mechanical condition. This information helps to determine details that may have caused the accident. Experts will also download information from vehicle data recorders. The crash information, combined with the use of physics, math and other tools, can create a representation of how the crash occurred.
In some cases, experts must make educated guesses, using information from the sources they do have when other, more accurate, information is not available. The last step is to put together a report. The reconstruction expert should also make him or herself available to attend depositions and testify at trial, as needed. Of course, this is a simplified version of the complex reconstruction process.
Your personal injury claim
Not every personal injury case needs a reconstruction of the accident, but it can be an invaluable tool. In some accidents, you and the other driver may disagree on exactly what happened. Reconstructing the accident can clear up questions about the details of the crash itself, because accidents can happen so fast that the recollections of those involved, along with any witnesses, may not be reliable.
The police report may give victims many important details, but just like anyone else, the police can make mistakes. Part of the problem with accident reconstructions is that the physical evidence at the scene can disappear due to traffic and weather. The sooner you make use of the legal resources available to you, the more likely you are to recover evidence that could prove valuable to your claim.
