Truck Accident Reconstruction Could Help Establish Negligence In Your Case
Recovering compensation after a truck accident can be complicated, as it is not uncommon for more than one party to be at fault for the crash. An accident caused by defective brakes could, for instance, involve not only the negligence of the driver and the trucking company, but also the company responsible for manufacturing the defective part. These competing interests can make it difficult for injured parties to pinpoint who was at fault for which part of an accident, which in turn, can make recovery problematic.
Fortunately, there are steps that plaintiffs and their legal teams can take to help prove fault in truck accident cases, one of which is to reconstruct the accident with the help of an expert. For help investigating the cause of your own collision, or to learn more about the types of evidence that could be used to strengthen your case, please call our dedicated Fort Lauderdale truck accident attorneys today.
What is Accident Reconstruction?
Accident reconstruction is a process that involves gathering data from an accident, putting that information into an accident reconstruction program, and analyzing the results to determine the cause of a crash. If hired early enough, a reconstruction expert can actually visit the accident scene, where he or she can photograph and measure skid marks and take note of any crash-related damage. Even if the accident isn’t fresh, however, an expert can still obtain this information by reviewing pictures of the accident scene and inspecting the damage to the vehicles. In addition to this information, the experts will collect details about:
- The weights and dimensions of the vehicles involved;
- Steering and braking information;
- The surfaces on which the vehicles were traveling;
- The weather and road conditions at the time of the accident;
- The parties’ direction of travel at the time of the crash; and
- The vehicles’ resting positions.
All of this information will then be put into accident reconstruction software or a simulation model to analyze the accident.
What Does Accident Reconstruction Reveal?
After this data is put into a simulation program, the reconstruction expert will run a series of scenarios, varying the speed and angles of the travel until the simulation matches the physical evidence from the accident. Eventually, the simulation will show how the accident occurred and will provide important information about the collision, including:
- The time, speed, and position histories of the vehicles;
- The principal directions of force involved in the crash;
- The vehicles’ speed at the point of impact;
- When the vehicles accelerated or decelerated; and
- How human factors impacted the collision.
This information can help prove that someone else’s negligence caused the accident, which is critical to an injured party’s ability to recover compensation for medical bills and lost wages.
Get in Touch with a Dedicated Fort Lauderdale Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck accidents can have devastating consequences, especially for the occupants of smaller vehicles. Treating resulting injuries can be both painful and expensive, so if you were hurt in a collision with a commercial vehicle, don’t hesitate to call 954-566-9919 to speak with the experienced Florida truck accident lawyers at Boone & Davis today.
Resource:
ncpro.sog.unc.edu/manual/647-1
