A highly skilled and experienced car accident attorneys know how to use all the tools at their disposal to win cases. After 30 years of providing legal help to car accident victims and winning, our car accident attorneys in Sacramento understand the importance of one specific tool in particular: car accident reconstructionists.
California roadways are busy, but not all accidents have eyewitnesses, or eyewitnesses who stop to provide their contact information. And sadly, as is often the case in a crowded city like Sacramento, where freeways are congested with commercial trucks and complicated by road construction, not all passengers in the cars involved survive a car accident. These are just a few reasons why attorneys must rely on the help of professional reconstructionists.
What Is a Car Accident Reconstructionist
An accident reconstructionist (sometimes referred to as a collision reconstructionist) applies principles of physics, engineering, and mathematics to analyze all physical evidence of a car accident at their disposal. Then, they meticulously piece together how and why it occurred, which leads to an understanding of who was at fault.
A car accident reconstructionist works backward, starting from the scene of the accident. They examine the aftermath: the road, the boundaries, structures, the vehicle damage, etc., to recreate the sequence of events systematically. Most importantly to car accident attorneys and the people they are fighting for, the findings of a professional car accident reconstructionist are considered unbiased expert testimony.
How Our Sacramento Accident Reconstructionists Help Us Build a Car Accident Victim’s Case
When we encounter conflicting witness statements or recollections or disputed liability, we turn to an accident reconstructionist’s expert analysis for details of the car accident that can be invaluable to securing the victim’s full and fair compensation.
Here is a simplified, partial list of how a Sacramento car accident reconstructionist helps us build robust cases for car accident victims:
- By Establishing Fault Objectively
Accident reconstructionists have a responsibility to determine quantifiable fault; that is, based on physical facts, measurements, science, etc. They do not speculate. Some of the factors they look at when determining fault include:
- Skid Marks and Yaw Marks (yaw marks are marks caused by a tire that is simultaneously rotating and sliding sideways, unlike skid marks, which are typically straight and caused by a tire that is locked and not rotating): To calculate the vehicle’s speed and whether the driver took evasive action, braked, or if there were uncontrolled actions.
- Point of Impact: Pinpointing exactly where the vehicles first came into contact is essential.
- Physics: Calculating the speed, force of impact, and the angle of impact using professional tools like forensic photography and crash simulations.
- Data Recorder (EDR) Analysis: Pulling crucial data from a vehicle’s computer (which most modern cars have), which records vital details like speed, braking, and steering adjustments in the moments and even seconds before impact.
- By Corroborating the Victim’s Account
The reconstructionist’s report in support of the victim’s statement becomes scientific evidence. Therefore, the report can discredit false claims being made by the at-fault driver, including blatantly lying about speed or attempts to brake. It can also fill in missing gaps and add clarity to how an accident happened when no witness statements, surveillance video, etc., are available.
- By Explaining Complex Factors in Understandable Language
Reconstructionists can provide critical details in layman’s terms for a jury or judge if a case goes to trial. In other words, their scientific data can be used to create diagrams, charts, and computer-generated animations in 3D, all of which can illustrate how the at-fault party’s negligence led to the accident. This is highly useful when our car accident attorneys are presenting the basis for the damages they are asking for and the compensation they are seeking.
Secure a Car Accident Attorney in Sacramento Who Uses Accident Reconstructionists
Seasoned and aggressive attorneys who know what it takes to win won’t hesitate to pull out all the stops when it comes to investigating an accident and building a strong case for clients. Relying on the expert analysis of a car accident reconstructionist is one of many tools our Sacramento car accident attorneys understand the importance of.
Our car accident attorneys charge nothing up front and do not get paid unless you win. Rest assured, when we accept your case, that’s precisely what we intend to do: win. Call to schedule a free, no-risk consultation to discuss your situation. There is no obligation to move forward.
Call our office at (916) 438-1819 today and be closer to a resolution tomorrow.