When a devastating motorcycle crash turns your life upside down, you may be left with more questions than answers about what happened. How did the accident occur? Who was at fault? What evidence supports your claim for compensation?
As you focus on healing from serious injuries, the experienced Milwaukee motorcycle accident attorneys at Hupy and Abraham, S.C. get to work uncovering the facts of your case. One of the most powerful tools we use is motorcycle accident reconstruction—a scientific process that reveals the underlying causes of a crash.
Keep reading to learn how accident reconstruction helps provide answers for injured riders and their families.
The Goals of Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction
The main purpose of motorcycle accident reconstruction is to understand the physics behind a crash to establish the cause and determine fault. Accident reconstruction experts work to answer key questions like:
- How fast was each vehicle traveling at the moment of impact?
- Did either vehicle brake or swerve prior to the collision?
- Was the motorcycle or the other vehicle in the proper lane?
- Were there any mechanical failures or defects that contributed to the crash?
- Were road conditions, weather, or lighting a factor?
By piecing together clues from the accident scene, vehicle damage, and other evidence, reconstruction experts can provide an objective analysis of what happened. This expert insight is invaluable for demonstrating the other party's negligence and liability for a motorcyclist's injuries.
Preserving Evidence at the Scene Aids the Reconstruction Process
Accident reconstruction relies on physical evidence to recreate the events that led to a crash. The more data available, the more detailed and accurate the analysis will be.
If you're able to do so safely, take photos and videos of the crash scene before vehicles are moved. Capture details like:
- Vehicle damage and final resting positions
- Skid marks, scrapes, or gouges in the road
- Road signs and traffic control devices
- Lighting and weather conditions
- Injuries to yourself and others
Even if you can't gather evidence yourself, the police report and photos from the responding officers will contain vital information for the reconstruction process. Always report the accident to law enforcement, and be sure to get a copy of the report.
Using the Laws of Physics to Reconstruct a Motorcycle Crash
Motorcycle accident reconstruction experts use scientific principles to determine how a crash unfolded, such as:
- Conservation of Linear Momentum. This law states that a system's total momentum remains constant if no external forces act on it. In a collision, the momentum of both vehicles before the crash will equal the momentum after the crash. Experts use this to calculate vehicle speeds and directions.
- Work-Energy Principle. This principle relates the work done by all forces acting on an object to the change in the object's kinetic energy. Reconstructionists use this to understand how the vehicles moved during the collision and the forces involved.
- Conservation of Energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. This principle helps experts calculate speeds based on the dissipation of kinetic energy through damage to the vehicles and surrounding objects.
- Principle of Rotational Mechanics. This principle describes how objects rotate and helps experts understand a motorcycle's motion during a crash, particularly if the rider laid the bike down before impact.
Accident reconstructionists use these scientific laws in conjunction with evidence from the scene to develop detailed models and simulations. By working backward from the point of impact, they can visualize how the accident occurred and identify the critical factors that caused it.
Demonstrating Fault and Liability Through Reconstruction
The data revealed by motorcycle accident reconstruction provides powerful evidence for demonstrating fault and liability. The final reconstruction report will offer expert insight on key issues like:
- Speeds of the Vehicles. Reconstructionists can calculate the speed of the motorcycle and the other vehicle at the time of the crash, which may show that the other driver was speeding or failed to slow down.
- Positions of the Vehicles. By mapping the positions of the vehicles before, during, and after the crash, experts can determine if either party made an unsafe lane change, ran a red light, or violated other traffic laws.
- Timing of the Collision. Reconstruction can show which vehicle entered the intersection or roadway first, clarifying issues like right-of-way and failure to yield.
- Mechanical Issues. Reconstructionists can identify potential mechanical failures, such as faulty brakes or blown tires, that may have contributed to the crash.
- Road and Weather Conditions. Experts will note any adverse conditions at the time of the accident and analyze whether they played a role in causing the crash.
This objective analysis is essential for countering arguments from the insurance company and the at-fault party's legal team. With a skilled reconstructionist on your side, you can build a strong case for liability and negotiate from a position of strength.
Uncovering Crash Causes Provides Closure and Compensation
After a harrowing motorcycle accident, many riders and their families feel stuck with unanswered questions. How did this happen? Could it have been prevented? What do we do now?
Motorcycle accident reconstruction is a powerful tool for revealing the truth about what occurred. By working with expert witnesses to gather evidence and reconstruct the crash, Hupy and Abraham, S.C. provides clients with much-needed answers and a path toward justice and financial recovery.
For over 50 years, the Wisconsin motorcycle accident lawyers at Hupy and Abraham, S.C. have been uncovering the facts that help injured riders rebuild their lives. With a team of experienced attorneys and a network of accident reconstruction experts, we know how to build strong cases for maximum compensation.
