How To Prove Someone Was Speeding In An Accident

How Can I Prove the Other Driver Was Speeding Before a Car Accident

Car accidents are an unfortunate event. When two vehicles collide, liability must be established based on the circumstances and who is at fault. Proving that someone was speeding before a car accident can be difficult, but there are a few strategies you can use to make the process less daunting.

Review Traffic Cameras

Many cities enforce their speed limits with the use of traffic cameras. These cameras can be positioned at major intersections, freeways or even roads in residential areas that are prone to higher than average speeders. If you’re questioning the speed of another driver’s vehicle during the incident, pulling the footage from local traffic cameras may provide you with good evidence of their recklessness.

For the footage to be a viable piece of evidence, it would need to have been recorded within the minutes or hours leading up to the accident. On the off chance that the speed recorded exceeds the posted limit, you can use the footage to prove that the other driver was speeding. Otherwise, this strategy may not take you very far.

Investigate the Scene

If the accident happened in the same area as the traffic cameras, it’s worth investigating the scene of the crash. Electrical skid marks that are present on the road can provide the police with some much-needed insight into the accident. Police officers can use these skid marks to determine how fast the vehicles were going prior to colliding.

The length of these marks is a direct indication of the force of the collision, as well as an approximation of the speed of the cars before they crashed. Your medical injury lawyer and the police can work together to piece together the evidence that can provide a better understanding of the circumstances before the crash.

Interview Witnesses

Any non-involved parties who witnessed the accident may be able to provide valuable insight about the actions of the parties involved before the crash. Witnesses may be unsure of the exact speed the cars were traveling at but can provide some context concerning the speed of the vehicles. This data can be used to back up any evidence that has been collected or to sway the outcome of a case.

Check Black Box Data

Recently manufactured vehicles are equipped with an array of sensors that record vehicle information. This data is stored in the car’s black box (or event data recorder), which is almost identical to the devices used on airplanes.

The data stored in these boxes can generally provide a timeline of the vehicle’s activities up to five seconds prior to an accident, including its speed and braking patterns. By reviewing this data, you can get a better understanding of the speed that was involved in the accident.

Seek Expert Opinion

In some cases, it may be difficult to get a clear understanding of the speed at which the vehicles were traveling before the accident. In these situations, an expert opinion may be necessary.

These professionals can assess the scene, review any data that has been collected and other information before providing an opinion that can be used to establish a potential cause of the crash. Your personal injury lawyer will likely need to coordinate any experts that you require and will ensure that any findings are presented in the proper manner if the case goes to trial.

Determine Fault

If a driver was exceeding the speed limit prior to the crash, this would likely be considered reckless behavior — one of the main causes of severe car accidents. When it is necessary to prove that someone was speeding, the data collected must be convincing enough to shift the fault for the accident onto the other driver. Once that is established, you can pursue proper compensation for your injuries or damage to your property.

Proving that the other driver was speeding prior to a car accident can be complicated and time-consuming. Applying the strategies outined above, however, will increase the chances of receiving just compensation for any damages caused by the other driver’s recklessness.