Why Truck Accident Reconstruction Is Critical to Obtaining Compensation

Truck accidents can be among the most devastating types of collisions. Accidents involving semi-trucks can cause serious injuries and death due to their massive size and weight. If you have been injured in a truck accident and you are interested in pursuing compensation for your injuries, investigating the accident is a major part of building your case. Working with a truck accident reconstruction specialist can help you prove that the defendant is liable for your injuries.

When a person is injured in a truck accident, he or she has a right to file a lawsuit against the person or company whose negligence caused the accident. In order to obtain compensation, you must be able to prove that the truck driver’s negligence or recklessness caused the truck accident. For example, if you were injured in a truck accident and you suspect that the truck driver was texting while driving when the accident occurred, you can bring a lawsuit against the truck driver. Proving the cause of a truck accident is not easy in many cases.

Working with a truck accident reconstruction expert can help you prove that the defendant in your case is legally obligated to pay you compensation. Truck accident reconstruction involves gathering important information and evidence about a truck accident. Experts will scientifically analyze the evidence to determine the cause of the truck accident.

Reconstructing a truck accident can give you and your attorney important information and illuminate the factors that caused the accident. It can also explain how the accident occurred and how it could have been prevented. Specifically, accident reconstruction can help a plaintiff's attorney determine the following aspects of the truck accident:

• When the truck accelerated and decelerated
• The direction of travel
• The speed at the point of impact
• The principal direction of force
• Human factors that may have impacted or caused the accident
• The precise cause of the accident
• The time, speed, and position histories of the vehicles involved in the accident

During the accident reconstruction process, an expert will gather important evidence about the accident. It is wise to hire an accident reconstruction specialist as soon as possible because evidence disappears quickly after a truck accident. When an expert is hired quickly enough, he or she can go to the accident scene and gather important evidence, such as damage to the vehicles, skid marks, and other pertinent aspects of the accident.

If the accident is not recent enough, the expert can still provide valuable services. The expert can review pictures that were taken of the truck accident scene and the damage to the vehicles. Experts use computer software to recreate the accident and simulate what happened so they can analyze the accident. Accident reconstruction experts can take many variables into account when reconstructing what happened, here are some common examples:

• Direction of travel
• Road conditions
• Weather conditions
• Road surfaces
• Braking and steering information
• Vehicle dimensions
• Weights of the vehicles

Reconstruction specialists provide valuable information. Many truck accident cases settle out of court. When a truck accident company sees the report composed by the accident reconstruction specialist, they may be more willing to negotiate a fair settlement. If the case does proceed to trial, the specialist can testify in court. The specialist should be able to provide time histories and trajectories for the vehicles. The specialist can also run experiments that vary the angles of travel and speed to simulate what occurred in a way that matches the physical evidence available in the accident.

As mentioned above, plaintiffs in a truck accident lawsuit must prove that the defendant or defendants acted negligently. Accident reconstruction specialists are often able to determine the most likely cause of the truck accident. Many truck accidents are caused by negligence, such as distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield the right of way, dangerous turns, and failure to follow traffic rules.

If you have been injured in a North Carolina truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Trucking accidents can be complex, and it is important that you work with a knowledgeable truck accident attorney who can discuss accident reconstruction and other ways to support your legal claim. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC as soon as possible to schedule your consultation and learn more about your legal options.