How Collisions are Investigated

When two vehicles collide with each other, they can’t just carry on down the road like nothing happened, especially if there was serious damage or injury. For the sake of both drivers and for the safety of other people on the road, a forensic collision investigator will look into the incident.


What is a Forensic Collision Investigator?

It may seem like a long and confusing title, but it just refers to someone that investigates car accidents. Using their knowledge of vehicles and forensics, they are able to create a detailed reconstruction of the event and explain what really happened. They do this by gathering evidence from the scene, such as witness statements, pictures, parts of the vehicles and possibly surrounding structures etc.


Investigating the Accident

Forensic collision investigators are extremely thorough during these investigations. They start by assessing the scene, taking pictures from as many angles as possible. The scene will eventually have to be cleaned which is why having images to look back at is very important. They will then take witness statements which is when they ask anyone involved in the accident or saw it happening to describe the event from start to finish. Physical evidence is gathered, this could be parts of the vehicles, structures nearby that were involved by being crashed into. They also gathered DNA to verify who was in the vehicles when they crashed. From all of this comes a forensic collision reconstruction, usually done on a computer, that will replay the collision and help to verify testimonies to see if what was described is actually possible. For example, if someone had lied and said their vehicle was positioned differently then it was, this will show on the reconstruction and confirm that it does not match with the rest of the evidence, tire marks on the road. A full report is written up that describes what happened, how it happened and the evidence to prove it.


Benefits of Having a Collision Investigator?

If you are in a collision, you may need to call your insurance company to get some money back. This could be to fix your vehicle, to buy a new one, or to cover any costs that arise due to the accident. However, your insurance company will only give you your money back if the accident was not your fault. To prove this, you can show them the report that will give them all the key information they need to get your money back. Similarly, if the accident results in damage to another person's vehicle or to public property, you will need to go to court to prove you did not cause damage on purpose. A forensic collision investigator will not only provide you the evidence to show your innocence, but will also testify in court and explain to the judge and jury their findings. Finally, if the accident was caused by something out of your control such as faded road markings or faulty street lights, an investigation will uncover this. That information must be acted upon by law to improve road safety. This means that no other accidents should occur there for the same reason, making the roads safer for everyone.


Conclusion

Forensic collision investigators are able to get a clear and accurate idea of how vehicle collisions take place and how to prevent them in the future. If you need help in claiming your insurance or testifying in court after getting into a car accident, you know who to call. To learn more about investigative services after accidents, visit the GBB UK website.

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