Not all car crashes present a clear at-fault driver. Some cases have complex circumstances or affect multiple parties. Thus, everyone may have different versions of what happened and whose negligence is responsible for the collision.
Accident reconstruction analysis can be an objective approach to fill in the missing details and form a reliable account of events.
Recreating the accident scene
Accident reconstruction experts use science, math, physics and engineering principles to recreate and examine the elements surrounding the crash. They find clues to piece the puzzle together. Depending on the needs of each case, their equipment may include aerial drones, forensic mapping, light metering or three-dimensional laser scanning.
Their work begins once they have gathered all the preserved evidence. They do this by analyzing:
- Energy: The kinetic energy transferred upon impact to specific factors, such as road surface
- Drag factor: The length of the skid marks before and after the impact
- Time and distance: The available reaction time and distance to avoid the collision or reasons for potential delays or driver negligence
Since the process involves precise equations and formulas, accident reconstruction experts can form reasonable opinions that involved parties and their eyewitnesses may be unable to quantify.
Emotions often run high after the incident, blurring critical memories. Thus, there is a risk for inconsistent statements from affected parties and those who saw the crash happen due to the time that lapsed and other factors that can influence logical thinking.
Establishing evidence-based liability
As a modified comparative fault state, liability in Connecticut crashes depends on the degree of fault shared by each party. This system means that victims can recover compensation even if they are partly to blame as long as the other driver has a greater percentage of fault. Thus, it is crucial for victims to consult a legal counsel who can work with them in accident reconstruction analysis. By doing so, they can devise a solid claim to reduce or entirely remove liability.