Unlike minor fender benders, a collision between a big rig and your car, traveling at highway speeds on I-35 or I-44 in Oklahoma, can have devastating consequences. We often represent clients injured in crashes that caused the death or life-altering injury of a loved one.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, large truck crashes often result in passenger vehicle occupants’ death. Not only do the trucks weigh 20 to 30 times more than a smaller vehicle, but the higher ground clearance can result in a car, light truck or motorcycle sliding underneath.
Multicar crash
When a crash involves only two vehicles, determining the cause is often straightforward. However, if you are in a pile-up encompassing several vehicles or if it affected cars and trucks traveling in different directions, finding the responsible party or parties is a challenge. Officials may identify more than one person contributed to the accident. Crash investigation at this level often requires the specialized skills of an accident reconstructionist.
Accident reconstruction
Every crash scene is different. Investigative experts with an engineering or science background, called accident reconstructionists, analyze the scene to determine the cause of your accident. Using training and specialized equipment, they interpret physical information at the crash site. Starting at the scene and working backward, they study a variety of contributing factors, such as the speed of each vehicle involved and road conditions. Skid marks and eyewitness accounts provide additional information, filling in the gaps.
Attorneys may call accident reconstructionists as they prepare a case for a personal injury claim. The facts presented in the final report can help if it goes to trial.