Accident Reconstructionists

An accident reconstructionist is often necessary to prove fault in an accident where there was a serious injury or death. Here are some facts about accident reconstructionists:

1) WHO HE/SHE IS: An accident reconstructionist is an engineer or police officer with special training in “reconstructing” how an accident happened, step by step.

2) WHY HE/SHE IS NEEDED: It can be hard to prove the “hows and whats” of a serious accident – the order of how things happened, how fast each vehicle was going, when each vehicle began braking, whether victims were wearing seat belts. However, that proof may be absolutely necessary to obtaining a settlement or jury award.

3) HOW HE/SHE GETS INVOLVED: In Georgia, there is a special team of the Georgia State Patrol that reviews accidents that have caused death on a state highway. When that team is not on the case, we have found that it is very important for the injury attorneys to bring in their own accident reconstructionists.

4) WHEN HE/SHE GETS INVOLVED: It’s important for the attorneys to bring in the accident reconstructionist immediately after the accident. Here is an example of why: in one of our cases, a pulpwood truck driver in Valdosta, GA, made a wide right turn without checking his mirrors. A young woman’s car to his right was dragged underneath the truck and she was killed instantly. Our law firm was retained by her husband. There were questions right away: did the truck driver signal? How fast was the truck going? How fast was the woman’s car going? Did she brake? Did the woman have her seat belt on? Did her air bag work?

We immediately brought in an accident reconstructionist. He viewed the truck and the car and then went to the accident scene and measured the skid marks on the road. He removed the black box from the car and downloaded all of its information: how fast the car was going, when it began braking, when the collision happened, whether the victim was wearing a seat belt, and whether her air bag deployed.

We used the report of the accident reconstructionist, along with other expert reports, to present a complete settlement demand package to the truck’s insurer. We were able to settle the case for the full policy limits, without ever filing a lawsuit. If you have been seriously injured in an accident, or someone in your family has been injured or killed, please call us, Stokes & Kopitsky, for immediate help. We want to help you get your life back on track, and get you the very best settlement or award possible in your case.

At Stokes & Kopitsky, we are skilled, experienced Atlanta injury attorneys. Our telephones are answered 24/7 and our consultations are free. We advance all costs and our fees are paid only from any settlement or award we obtain for you. Please call us at 404-892-0011 for highly experienced, caring legal help for your accident.