Louisiana uses an at-fault system when looking at car accidents. This means that the party who causes the accident covers costs for injuries and damages, rather than splitting it equally among the involved parties. We also use a comparative fault system, which means that fault can be split between multiple parties.
In dealing with a car accident, determining fault can be one of the trickiest and most important things. Understanding exactly what happened in a car accident is crucial but can also be extremely complicated. It may be necessary to enlist the help of an accident reconstruction expert.
What does an accident reconstructionist do?
Accident reconstruction is an approach for understanding an accident and who is at fault for it. Accident reconstructionists are often engineers and have specialized training, giving them expert knowledge on the subject. They will collect data to determine exactly what happened to help the courts decide who is at fault.
How does reconstruction work?
An accident reconstructionist uses the final states of the vehicles, evidence found at the scene of the accident, pictures that were taken, damages, injuries and the statements of people involved or who saw the event. All these pieces go alongside professional data analysis to help the expert determine things like how fast the parties were going, the severity of the crash, what people did and who is ultimately at fault for it. This will produce a final report that explains what likely happened.
Accident reconstruction can help determine fault in an accident, which ultimately decides if you will receive compensation for damages and injuries, or if you will have to pay. If you were hit and need help proving it, ask your attorney about using accident reconstruction.