How Accident Reconstruction May Benefit You During a Wheaton Personal Injury Case

 Posted on January 21, 2022 in Personal Injury

Most car crashes are the culmination of numerous different factors. Speeding, winter weather, driver fatigue, inadequate vehicle maintenance, and countless other circumstances can create the perfect storm of events during an accident. This can make it very difficult for police, attorneys, insurance companies, and car accident victims to know who is ultimately at fault for the wreck.

If you or a loved one were recently hurt in a car accident, you may be able to hold the at-fault party accountable for your damages through a personal injury claim. Accident reconstruction, or the process of recreating what happened during the crash, may be a crucial component of a successful claim.

Understanding How and Why an Accident Happened

Car accidents happen in a split second. Many victims find themselves suddenly injured in a wrecked vehicle without understanding how they even got there. Accident reconstruction helps piece together what happened before, during, and after a crash.

An accident reconstructionist may use many forms of evidence and information to determine the sequence of events in a crash, including:

Damage to vehicles and surrounding property – The location and severity of damage to the vehicles in the crash, as well as damage to other property like guardrails or traffic signs, can be used to better understand how the accident occurred.

Camera footage – More and more people have dash cameras in their vehicles. Footage from dashcams, traffic cameras, or even security cameras from nearby businesses may aid accident reconstructionists.

Eyewitness testimony – People who saw the accident or the moments before the accident. For example, a witness who saw a driver drifting between lanes before the crash may add credence to the theory that the driver was distracted.

Event data recorder – Many commercial vehicles, including semi trucks, have a “black box” called an event data recorder that records information about the vehicle’s speed, acceleration, engine RPM, brake application, and more.

Road and weather conditions – Potholes, road debris, and overall road conditions can heavily influence a crash. The weather at the time of the crash may also be an important factor to consider during a crash investigation.

Using Technology to Recreate the Accident

Accident reconstructionists work closely with car crash lawyers to evaluate accidents and determine what happened. Often, accident reconstruction is used to establish liability, or legal responsibility, for the crash. Collision reconstruction relies heavily on sophisticated computer systems that process data and create computer models and simulations of the crash. These models can help an attorney during settlement negotiations with the insurance company or at trial.

Contact a DuPage County Car Crash Lawyer

If you were hurt in a collision, contact Law Offices of David W. Clark, P.C. for help. Wheaton, Illinois personal injury attorney David W. Clark is highly experienced in car accident cases. He has won multiple 6- and 7-figure settlements and awards for clients injured in auto accidents. Call us today at 630-665-5678 for a confidential consultation.  

Source:

https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/courts/circuit-court/illinois-pattern-jury-instructions-civil/