Understanding motorcycle accident reconstruction

April 16, 2013 (Press-News.org) Vehicular accident reconstruction is a modern day scientific method used to determine the cause of an auto accident. A subpart of vehicle reconstruction is motorcycle accident reconstruction. Both scientific methods are often utilized to help determine fault in a personal injury lawsuit.

Understanding accident reconstruction

Typically, when an auto accident occurs, the scene is a mess. Glass, vehicle pieces and road debris are scattered everywhere. Eyewitnesses report inconsistent opinions on what happened and no one can seem to pinpoint what or who caused the accident. That's where accident reconstructionists come into play. They are essentially professionals who put the pieces of the accident together and help determine the cause.

Accident reconstructionsists utilize many different techniques to form their conclusions. These include principles of physics and engineering, road debris or vehicle part samples from the scene of the accident, photographs or videos of the crash, road conditions, and environmental factors. They also utilize high tech models and software to simulate the accident.

Motorcycle accident reconstruction

When it comes to putting the pieces together for a motorcycle accident, similar techniques are used. Motorcycle accident reconstructionists utilize the same basic principles, however, they often investigate the dynamics of the motorcycle as well as rider control factors. They typically have specific knowledge in all aspects of motorcycle riding.

There are five phases that motorcycle accident reconstructionists examine when there is an accident involving a motorcycle. These include:
- Perception-Reaction: This is the first phase. It starts with the introduction of the perceived danger that the biker encounters. The biker sees a hazardous situation and they respond. Investigators examine the rider's perception or reaction time during this phase.
- Avoidance: The next phase involves the type of response the rider engages when he or she counters the situation. When a biker reacts to a dangerous situation, he or she typically steers or breaks. Investigators try to determine which instance happened in the accident.
- Pre-impact Sliding: If a rider decides to break, overuse could cause the breaks to lock. As a result the rider often loses control, crashes and slides. Investigators look at factors like skid marks and distance of the slide to help evaluate speed.
- Impact: When the rider steers or breaks to avoid the dangerous situation, a crash can occur. The biker often collides with other objects or vehicles. Investigators can determine the speed based on the extent of the damage to whatever was collided with.
- Post-impact Motion: After the impact, there is usually additional momentum until the bike comes to a complete stop. During this phase, a biker likely separates form the motorcycle. Investigators can determine speeds by looking at the post-impact travel distance and the location of the rider from the bike.

Determining cause in a civil suit

Whether it's a vehicle or motorcycle accident reconstruction, the techniques involved are often utilized as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit. When an auto accident occurs that results in injury or death to a party involved in the collision, a civil lawsuit is often brought against the driver of the accident for negligence. Auto accident reconstructionists are used to help prove that the driver was negligence and caused the accident and subsequent harm.

The reconstructionists will testify to their theories and conclusions in court in for either the judge or jury deciding the outcome of the case.

Article provided by Grazian & Volpe, P.C.
Visit us at www.myaccidentlaw.com