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How does motor vehicle accident reconstruction work?

Person photographing the front damage of a white car using a smartphone, with another damaged car visible in the background.
Most people would agree that the typical motor vehicle accident is fast, violent and confusing. Attempting to figure out what happened after the fact is challenging for victims of the accident and for witnesses. This is why there are often different accounts of how motor vehicle accidents occur.

Crash reconstruction and investigation uses scientific methods to determine just what caused the accident. While anyone can look at an accident scene and guess what happened, it takes specially educated and trained individuals to perform an accurate reconstruction. These investigations are crucial in many personal injury cases in which a negligent driver caused a car accident.

Since physics plays a large role in reconstructing an accident scenario, it is easy to see why you need a trained expert to make the reconstruction. This person will use physical evidence gathered at the scene to determine the manner in which the accident occurred. This evidence includes:

  • Police and accident investigator reports

  • Measurements from the accident site

  • Photographs and/or electronic scans of the accident site

  • Information about vehicle inspections made after the accident

Obviously, motor vehicle accident reconstruction is a complicated process involving math, forensics and physical evidence. In addition to looking at the evidence, the person in charge of the reconstruction will perform calculations using information such as vehicle momentum, distance traveled, directional data and much more to reach a conclusion.

If you are asking questions about the process because you have suffered injuries in an Illinois accident, you are definitely on the right track. A good next step is consulting with a Chicago based personal injury lawyer about the specific details of your motor vehicle accident.

Source: Crash Forensics, “Motor Vehicle Crash Investigation and Reconstruction,” John C. Glennon, Jr., BSAT, accessed Feb. 17, 2017

Categories : Motor Vehicle Accidents
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