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What is a traffic reconstruction expert?

On Behalf of | Apr 5, 2018 | Car Accidents |

When a serious accident occurs in Georgia, it is likely to be investigated with the help of a traffic reconstruction expert. The law enforcement entity in charge of the investigation may have a specialist or team of specialists on staff or on contract to help when needed. The at-fault driver may also have an independent expert on his legal team, or the insurer may hire one to help determine fault.

According to crashforensics.com, police are looking for help determining whether a criminal act was involved in the crash, such as speeding, alcohol use, or maybe a driver fell asleep at the wheel. Both police and independent inspectors are looking for the cause of the accident.

A visit to the crash site is typically the first step in an investigation. Using electronic survey equipment, including drones, specialists input evidence such as the length of skid marks, gouges on and off the road, the point of impact and other data, including the final position of the vehicles. A diagram, or map of the site, can then be developed.

Examining the vehicles is a must for experts to gauge the amount of damage and whether mechanical components contributed to the accident. Inspectors typically take a look at the condition of systems such as steering, brakes, lights, tires and more. Driver experience and qualifications, log books and how well a driver followed any regulations that may apply will also be studied.

Once the evidence is gathered, a reconstruction can be made. Using the laws of physics, inspectors determine from the data they gather (remember the skid marks), how fast the vehicles were moving and their approximate positions throughout the crash. Other information, such as point of impact and vehicle weights, helps determine even more about the how the accident occurred.

If you are involved in an accident with serious injuries or death, you may expect to have a crash reconstruction expert on-scene at some point. You may even be the one to hire such a specialist should your attorney advise it for use in your defense should you be charged in the crash.

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