When an accident occurs, you may hope that the car crash was captured on video and that witnesses will come forth to provide testimony about how the collision happened. But the reality is that this may not always be the case. Sometimes you’re left with just your own account of how the car accident happened and that of the other party involved.
Even if you do have other forms of documentation, reconstruction of your accident could make a stronger case for compensation in your car accident claim. You may want to consider hiring a Chicago accident reconstruction lawyer to lead an accident investigation and argue your case for recovery using methods based in science and fact.
The Kryder Law Group, LLC will take on your insurance claim or lawsuit after a car accident in Chicago. Call us today to discuss your personal injury case and the severity of your injuries.
Explaining Accident Reconstruction
The goal of accident reconstruction is to provide a jury or another audience an authentic recreation of how an accident happened. Accident reconstruction specialists such as the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) break down some of the elements that go into reconstruction.
Some of the most significant of those elements in the scientific approach of an accident reconstructionist are:
Preserving any remaining physical evidence
Making observations at the accident scene
Taking photographs as part of the accident scene documentation
Taking measurements, which may be used at a later date to create an accurately-scaled recreation
An Understanding of Engineering is Helpful
These elements can be the foundation of an accident reconstruction report. But there are other contributing factors that could help in the reconstruction of your accident. As the NSPE notes, it may also help to have a firm grasp of some engineering concepts in order to fully explain how and why an accident occurred.
Accident Reconstruction Specialists
Your lawyer may personally participate in the reconstruction process but may also rely on an accident reconstruction expert and other professionals in relevant fields to assist in reconstructing your accident.
How Your Lawyer May Help Reconstruct Your Car Accident
It may be very beneficial to find a lawyer who focuses on the field of accident reconstruction. An attorney with experience in this field will understand crash dynamics well enough to know what information needs to be gathered at the scene of the accident to later reconstruct a car accident.
Personal injury attorneys with this kind of experience may also be familiar with other aspects of reconstruction that can help make an even stronger case for your settlement and help you better recover from your injuries and losses.
Getting the Help Needed
Your lawyer may personally handle or outsource reconstruction-related duties to accident reconstructionists, such as:
Investigating the scene of your accident
Collecting evidence that could assist in reconstruction, such as the traffic collision report, police reports, black box data, videotape of the accident vehicles, photographs of skid marks or the road surface, and witness statements
Hiring expert witnesses in the laws of physics, car crashes and crash dynamics or automotive engineers to assist with aspects of your reconstruction such as determining vehicle speeds
Utilizing accident reconstruction software or computer applications such as the VEDYAC system to provide a visual representation of the vehicles involved in the accident, as explained by the journal Computers & Structures
The Goal of Reconstruction
The goal of a reconstruction specialist is to explain how and why the accident occurred and to ultimately determine who is at fault for the accident, thus, establishing liability.
By reconstructing your accident in a fact-based, scientific manner, your lawyer may acquire compelling evidence that indicates that you were the victim of some type of wrongdoing such as negligence.
You can speak with a Chicago accident reconstruction lawyer from our legal team for more information about how they may be able to handle your accident claim.
Accident Reconstruction Is Just One Benefit of Hiring a Lawyer
The resources that may be required to create an effective reconstruction could be significant. Hiring an experienced lawyer may give you access to the resources you need. If your lawyer works on a contingency fee basis, as the American Bar Association (ABA) discusses, you may not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for accessing such resources.
More Than Reconstruction
Accident reconstruction is not the only benefit you may receive from hiring a lawyer. Whether you are filing an insurance claim or lawsuit, your lawyer may:
Protect your rights, just after your accident and throughout the legal process
Gather evidence not related to reconstruction
Hire experts not related to reconstruction for expert testimony
Interview witnesses
File your lawsuit or insurance claim
Communicate with insurance companies, other lawyers, and any parties who are involved in your claim or lawsuit
Calculate the value of your losses from the accident in question, and update those costs as your losses mount
Negotiate a settlement through insurance or before a trial
If you pursue a lawsuit and your lawyer is not able to negotiate an acceptable settlement, then they will handle your case throughout the trial phase. If your lawsuit or insurance claim does not result in the outcome that you and your lawyer hope for, then they can also handle the respective appeals process.
Your Lawyer Will Identify the Cause of Your Accident
As part of determining fault for your losses and reconstructing your accident, your lawyer will identify who specifically caused the collision. They will point to specific actions or failures that caused the liable party to strike your vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle, or person.
As a motorist, there is a long list of behaviors and failures that may cause an accident. Some of those behaviors and failures include:
Being drunk or under the influence of drugs while driving
Engaging in distracted driving (which includes using a cell phone, changing the vehicle’s radio, eating and drinking, or taking attention from the road for any other reason)
Failing to maintain and use headlights, mirrors, and brake lights
Failing to properly secure objects inside or outside of the vehicle
Failing to check tires for roadworthiness
Highlighting the specific causes of your accident will be necessary to make the case that you were the victim of negligence. Your lawyer can determine how to make this argument and then execute this strategy on your behalf.
Call The Kryder Law Group Today
A Chicago accident reconstruction lawyer can guide your pursuit of compensation after a motor vehicle collision in which you or a loved one were injured.
Call The Kryder Law Group today for a free consultation. There’s no obligation and it’s free. We’re ready to listen carefully to you and determine what your case may be worth.
Do not wait to call, as time may be a factor in your ability to bring a personal injury lawsuit, wrongful death lawsuit, or insurance claim.
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