Motor vehicle accidents are an unfortunate and mostly preventable cause of serious injuries and fatalities. Statistically, most collisions are down to driver errors and motorists who disobey traffic safety laws. Speeding is a common traffic violation and one of the leading factors in crashes, contributing to a third of the fatalities.
Negligent drivers who speed put not just their own life at risk, but also others on the road. If you suffered serious injuries in a crash caused by a speeding driver, you may be eligible for damages outside of your no-fault injury benefits. At Jay Trucks, our Grand Rapids vehicle crash lawyers are ready to help you learn about your legal options at no risk to you.
Strong Evidence That is Hard to Ignore
After a traffic accident, people may not realize the types of strong evidence a crash scene may reveal. Accident investigators know what to look for to help them learn what might have caused the crash. Solid evidence that is hard to ignore may include:
- Eyewitness Statements: Credible witnesses add strong support to a claim if they testify that they saw the at-fault party speeding when his or her vehicle hit yours.
- Surveillance Camera Footage: Some injured victims are lucky enough to have traffic or dash cam video footage that shows the at-fault party was speeding at impact.
- Event Data Recorder (EDR) – Vehicle Black Box: Most vehicles today have “black boxes” – EDRs – that record a lot about what that vehicle’s driver was doing prior to impact. It can tell how fast the vehicle was going, when – or if – the driver applied the brakes and more.
Police Report
Officers are trained to investigate accident scenes, observe the evidence and take statements from witnesses before writing up the accident report. Police reports often contain vehicle diagrams, observed vehicle damage, and other relevant facts about the crash. If the other driver gets a ticket for speeding, that will also be included in the police report.
Unfortunately, not every crash will have a witness or camera footage to help provide more information about what happened. Even a police report, if no ticket was issued, may not always indicate whether the at-fault party was speeding. So what else can help provide the evidence you need to prove that the at-fault party’s speeding helped cause your crash?
Examining Physical Evidence From the Crash Scene
After a motor vehicle accident, crash investigators will examine the scene to try to figure out the cause. If the at-fault driver was speeding, there may be evidence at the scene that proves it, even without video footage, eyewitnesses or traffic citations.
Important physical evidence at a crash scene may include:
Vehicle Damage
Vehicle damage reveals a lot about the speed at which a car was hit, as well as how fast the vehicle that hit it may have been going. This information is useful because the speed of a car when it crashes not only makes a huge difference in the amount of damage to a vehicle, but also its occupants.
Collision Ratings
Manufacturers have collision ratings for their vehicles. These ratings detail the expected damage to a vehicle at different speeds. This information tells investigators even more about the speed a vehicle may have been going before colliding with another vehicle.
Road Debris
At impact, pieces of the vehicles involved in a crash may get knocked off and sent flying into the road. How far this road debris goes – if it remains undisturbed – can be telling. Higher rates of speed result in more force at impact. The harder a car is hit, the further any vehicle parts will travel after coming loose.
Fresh Skid Marks
Speed affects your vehicle’s braking time. The faster a vehicle is going, the longer it will take it to fully stop after applying the brakes. Therefore, fresh skid marks help accident investigators to learn more about how fast a vehicle was going prior to impact. Skid marks that are longer and deeper indicate a vehicle was speeding because it took them more time to stop.
Contact Our Firm for Legal Help You Can Trust
Why leave your injury claim to chance? The team of legal professionals at our firm has been handling many different types of car crash claims for decades. We have a strong and proven track record, recovering millions on behalf of our clients.
At Jay Trucks, your Michigan car crash case is important to us, and we are ready to work tirelessly to recover maximum compensation for you.
Get started today with a free case review. We are ready to assist you with your no-fault injury claim. We are also prepared to help you seek a third-party liability claim if you meet the state’s injury threshold.
