The Role that Forensic Accident Reconstruction Plays in Personal Injury Claims

The Importance of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

The number of car accidents has increased over the years. A recent report by the Arizona Department of Transportation report showed an increase of 7% in the number of deaths caused by vehicle accidents. Many victims of car accidents sustain serious injuries that lead to permanent damage. To protect their rights, many victims will hire a personal injury lawyer, to help them obtain compensation for their damages.

Personal injury claims involve complex legal issues that may require the help of experts who specialize in forensic accident reconstruction. Without the critical information gleaned from such investigations, a personal injury lawyer may be compelled to rely on conflicting testimonies from eyewitnesses. Forensic accident reconstruction helps determine the cause and fault of an accident.

What is forensic accident reconstruction?

It allows the attorney to identify contributory negligence by one or both parties that is caused by faulty road conditions, carelessness, or aggressive actions. Accident reconstruction has become an invaluable part of personal injury claims. Forensic accident reconstruction experts come equipped with the latest software to recreate the events. They also use specialized equipment to record data from accident scenes.

These experts can also use 3D software technology to reconstruct accidents. The findings can be used to corroborate witness testimonies, demonstrate the impact that led to the trauma, and determine who was at fault during the crash. Forensic accident reconstruction expertise is also valuable in:

• Motor vehicle accidents that involve pedestrians. Their analysis helps determine the force and point of impact. The trained experts help assess the crash in the form of the five types of pedestrian accidents:
  • Wrap trajectory
  • Fender
  • Roof vault
  • Forward projection
  • Somersault
• Accidents involving the collision of cars with trucks or buses. Here the experts analyze the unique dynamics of buses and trucks during such collisions. The massive sizes of these vehicles and their high center of gravity are some of the factors that accident reconstruction experts use to determine the impact and severity of the injuries sustained.

Injuries That Require the Help of a Personal Injury Attorney

Note that only certain kinds of injuries require victims to hire personal injury lawyers:

1. Injuries that Cause Permanent Disability. Some fatal car accidents affect an individual’s physical ability for a long time and sometimes, do so permanently. Personal injury attorneys help assess the impact of the injury in monetary terms and negotiate for adequate compensation.
2. Serious Injuries. The severity of the victim’s injuries helps determine the amount of compensation the individual receives. A personal injury lawyer may decide on the amount based on factors like the type of injury, medical bills (current and future), and the period of recovery.

Other Situations that May Require Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

In addition to hiring a lawyer to negotiate a reasonable settlement on their behalf, car accident victims may need to engage a lawyer when the insurance company declines to offer a fair settlement. Sometimes, the insurance company or government agency may become defiant about compensating victims regardless of the nature of their injuries or amount of medical bills involved.

A personal injury attorney pursues the insurance company to offer their client adequate compensation. In addition, a personal injury lawyer can be helpful when:

• There are mitigating factors that make a claim more valuable, but the victim doesn’t know how to prove them. For example, if you are a caregiver and can no longer take care of other dependents in your life.
• When the settlement offer is low.
• You have sustained moderate injuries, but you are likely to incur expensive future medical bills as a result of that injury.