ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION

What is accident reconstruction?

In 2021, the NHTSA reported more than 6.1 million accidents in the United States that cost an estimated $340 billion. It’s one reason why determining liability and fault are an essential part of an accident investigation.

Accident reconstruction is a process using data and facts to determine the sequence of events that led to an accident to reveal the truth about how and why an accident happened. Data can come from many sources: traffic collision reports, photographs (photogrammetry), eyewitness reports, medical or coroner reports (if there were injuries or fatalities), and vehicle inspections.

Insurance companies and law enforcement have discovered that a drone (aka unmanned aerial system, or UAS) is an essential tool for accident reconstruction. Drones can deliver high-resolution imagery of a crash scene – the site of the accident and its surroundings.

How can SV Aerial help you with accident reconstruction and investigation?

SV Aerial & Consulting’s accident reconstruction photogrammetry can create both 2D and 3D images of where the accident occurred with detail and accuracy. This enables investigators and other accident reconstruction experts with the data they need to focus on the facts of how and why the accident occurred so that fault and liability can be assessed accurately and impartially.

SV Aerial & Consulting provides quality accident reconstruction that has helped professionals from vehicle accident lawyers to private investigators. Our years in law enforcement, drone expertise, and state-of-the-art technologies keep us Above the Rest to honestly and accurately recreate the scene of a vehicle collision.

Our vehicle accident reconstruction services include (but are not limited to) the following:

ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION FAQs

Why do I need a 3D model? I have an accident diagram on the report.

Accident reports and diagrams generally have basic information organized in a two-dimensional drawing. Our 3D models gives more detail which can help accident investigators the data they need to assess how to build your case.

Do I need photogrammetry? I already have a laser scan of the scene.

Laser scans of the scene are a great tool for building a point cloud for accident reconstruction in an accident investigation. A point cloud is a collection of data points plotted in three dimensions to create a 3D model. The density of the points determines the level of detail of the 3D model.

Our 3D models from photogrammetry can also produce a point cloud. In addition, our photogrammetry provides additional data for every point in the point cloud, such as color. This can be very helpful for showing small details that can be very important material facts to the case.

If you already have a laser scan, SV Aerial can combine those points with our photogrammetry to create an extremely accurate and realistic color model for court presentation.

My case was 3 years ago and the markings of the traffic accident are not visible anymore. Is a 3D model still an option?

Yes, we can still model a scene, even if the traffic accident markings are not visible. We will rely on pictures and measurements of the reporting law enforcement agency to help identify the scene.

SV Aerial can incorporate any measurements from the vehicle accident into our model to create accuracy for animation, gather measurements, and further analysis and investigation to build your case.

There has been road construction at the scene since my accident. The roadway and surroundings are now different. What can be done?

SV Aerial has to examine this on a case-by-case basis to determine the extent of the changes and what we can do to support the investigation.

How much time is necessary for creating a model of the accident scene?

Generally, our drone experts can fly the scene and have preliminary processing done within a week. However, many variables can affect creating a model of an accident scene,

Weather may be the biggest factor affecting the modeling process. If the weather is not conducive to flying, we may have to delay flying to create your model. Also, seasonality matters. If the traffic accident happened during the summer, but your investigation is during the winter, we may need to wait until weather conditions improve to fly and make a model of the scene. Any snow cover will reduce the accuracy of a model.

We will also want to consider what the surroundings were at the time of the accident. For example, if the leaves on the trees influenced the visibility of drivers during the collision, we may want to fly the scene during a time when the trees are in full canopy to give an accurate portrayal of the scene at the time of the accident.

The vehicles involved in the traffic accident have been towed to a salvage yard. Can you still model the involved vehicles away from the scene?

Yes, if we know the location of the vehicles involved we can model the vehicles away from the scene of the traffic accident. However, there may be some variables to the exact condition of the vehicles that will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

No measurements were taken at the accident scene. Can we still do an investigation with a 3D model?

Yes. We will need to rely heavily on the accident reports, witness statements, and any pictures taken to help recreate the scene and further investigation.

Do you have to be accredited to perform accident reconstruction?

The Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) is the leading accreditation organization for accident reconstruction professionals. SV Aerial & Consulting employs ACTAR-accredited professionals as part of their accident reconstruction services.