How Are Car Accidents Investigated?

If you’ve ever watched “procedural dramas” on TV, like “CSI,” you have probably heard of the term “forensics.”  Using a scientific method of gathering and examining information about the past, which is then used in a court of law, helps determine what happened and, ideally, who/what was responsible for the crime, or, in some cases, the accident.

 

When a car crash occurs and the police are involved, the accident is investigated and often reconstructed. Both police and independent investigators (typically hired by insurance companies) can be involved in this process.

 

Police will try and determine if a car crash has involved any criminal action. Were drugs or alcohol involved? Was the driver speeding? Did he or she fall asleep at the wheel and end up hurting or killing others?

 

Independent investigators will delve a little deeper, looking at things around the scene like skid marks, and taking measurements so details can be determined of what occurred. Electronic surveying equipment can be used to analyze various factors, such as point(s) of impact, and eventually the accident can be reconstructed using information gathered.

 

Though the average person would not think about the nitty gritty of a crash, when it comes to “the law,” they care about the details to determine who/what was at fault and needs to pay damages. Lawyers will often utilize information such as pre- and post-impact direction of travel, post-impact distances moved, friction values for the various surfaces the vehicles traveled over, impact angles, and weights of the vehicles.

 

4N6XPRT Systems makes accident reconstruction programs providing key information about car stiffness values, auto specs and other information needed to reliably evaluate and analyze accidents. The software from 4N6XPRT Systems helps police officers, insurance companies and attorneys do their jobs. Call 1-619-464-3478 to learn more about 4N6XPRT Systems.