Accident Reconstruction 101: Things To Understand
After an accident, the police reports and pictures can only show you what the aftermath of the incident looked like. The police report may detail each driver's account, but not until you actually reconstruct the scene can you accurately determine exactly what happened. With accident reconstruction, you can get a clear, detailed, unbiased account of what actually occurred during the accident. Here's a look at some of the things that you should understand about accident reconstruction services.
How Does Accident Reconstruction Work?
The process of accident reconstruction starts with collecting as much information as possible about the incident, including police reports, witness statements, and as many pictures as you can supply.
Then, the reconstruction professionals will go to the accident scene and conduct a site survey and evaluation with measurements, traffic flow assessments, and more. If there's any published data about surveys of the area or police documentation of accident records that show historic issues with accidents at that location, that information will be considered as well.
All of the collected information will be entered into a reconstruction simulation, which will then extrapolate all of the necessary details to accurately reconstruct what actually happened that could have led to the specific damage that occurred to the vehicles.
How Does Accident Reconstruction Help?
An accident reconstruction professional can help you significantly if you're filing a claim for a personal injury case or you're filing a civil suit as a result of the accident. Since eyewitness accounts and driver statements can be biased or potentially inaccurate, accident reconstruction is often considered to be the most accurate and unbiased representation of what happened, so it is taken into account during any legal determinations.
What Should You Understand About Accident Reconstruction?
One thing that is important to consider when you're thinking about accident reconstruction is that the final report will not favour one side or the other simply because that side is paying for the services. The report will include details from GPS units, onboard computers, skid mark measurements, and any other available information to clearly determine responsibility. That means that should you actually be responsible in any way, your contributory negligence will be identified as well. Be prepared for the reality of the incident when you review the report.
These are some of the most important things to think about when you're considering accident reconstruction. The right reconstruction services provider can make a significant difference in the final outcome of a personal injury or civil lawsuit.