If you’re involved in a severe accident, it can be difficult to know what happened at that moment. It all happens so fast. You know the other driver made a mistake, but you don’t know exactly what went wrong. If you suffered serious injuries in the accident, this can just lead to more confusion.
After the crash, then, a reconstruction team may be brought in to analyze the scene. They can help to determine fault. What are they going to look for?
Computer models and simulations
In some cases, crash reconstruction teams will use very high-tech options, such as laser measuring systems or aerial drones, to take photographs. They may even create computer models of the scene so that they can run simulations. These simulations can offer insights into what must have happened for the accident to play out the way that it did.
Essentially, they will be working backward. They can look at the placement of the cars on the road and the severity of the damage and then determine what direction those vehicles were traveling and how fast they were moving.
But a crash reconstruction can also involve simple tactics. For example, the team may look to see if there are any skid marks indicating that the other driver hit the brakes. If not, is that evidence of driver distraction? Even if there are skid marks, does measuring them show that the other driver must have been speeding at the time?
A lot of information goes into a crash reconstruction, and it can be a very important part of your legal case. Be sure you know how to seek financial compensation from the other driver.