It is not uncommon for people to assume that a motorcycle accident is the fault of the rider, not the car that is involved. After all, the bike is fast and powerful, and it is widely believed that motorcyclists are apt to speed and take chances on the road.
However, many motorcycle crashes are caused by negligent motorists. In preparing a case to prove fault, an attorney who represents the biker may call in a professional accident reconstructionist.
Severe consequences
If you have been involved in a motorcycle crash, your injuries may be very serious. Many motorcycle riders are left with broken bones, head or brain injuries, back or spinal cord injuries and many other issues. If you are in this position, you may be looking at expensive medical care, possible loss of income, weeks or perhaps months of recovery and rehabilitation.
A negligent driver may well be at fault for the injuries you sustain, but establishing this fact is not always easy. This is why your attorney may request accident reconstruction.
A more thorough analysis
A professional accident reconstructionist will map out the collision site to scale and analyze the markings left behind, such as tire marks and gouges. The expert will carefully examine both the motorcycle and vehicle for physical evidence. Computer simulations may also allow for the calculation of collision trajectories and verification of speed estimates. A study of the human factors behind the crash, as well as environmental and mechanical factors, helps in the research to help determine what caused the crash.
Not a police duty
Police officers are usually not trained in accident reconstruction, which means they might unintentionally miss recognizing anomalies in a motorcycle crash. Important information such as furrows in the dirt caused during the accident can quickly vanish. If the police officers do not measure or document such evidence, it will not appear in a police report. However, an accident reconstructionist will use this and many other pieces of information to build a comprehensive report that will aid the attorney in preparing an effective case on behalf of the injured motorcyclist.