Behind the Visuals: Using Crash Data to Create Reconstructions

For attorneys working on vehicle collision cases, video evidence is a vital tool to have in their arsenals. However, even in the best case, where surveillance video clearly captures a crash, many elements can still be unclear — driver inputs, line-of-sight, and other human factors, just to name a few. In addition, video only captures a single angle within a set height and width, limiting the context video can provide. Consequently, attorneys augment their video evidence with accident reconstruction animations. With these 3D demonstratives, viewers not only better appreciate a crash’s brutality, but they also comprehend liability, negligence, and the resulting damages.

Accident reconstructions, and litigation visuals more broadly, are more than special effects and creative magic; they rely on complex data and figures – which can difficult to understand on their own – to be input into 3D software and modeled comprehensively. This process requires both a technical understanding and creativity to distill masses of information into easy-to-understand presentations. In addition, these demonstratives help foster dignity and empathy to survivors’ trauma, helping to justify damages. Project Manager Kendall Artman says, “We’re able to take those spreadsheets and put some meaning to them and show that this person isn’t just an x-ray on the screen…we can show what happened to their car and make it feel like what happened to them was detrimental.”

With that said, not all accident reconstructions are created equal, and it’s important for attorneys to work with animators who understand how to create reconstructions for court. First, to avoid inadmissibility and unfair prejudice, accident reconstructions must not be overstated (e.g., too much gore, over-dramatized physics, etc.). DK Global animators input real-world statistics into 3D software to create high-fidelity simulations. Not only can physics and environments be recreated, but with the help of photos and LiDAR scans taken at the scene, we accurately model the intrusion to a vehicle and depict the destruction experienced in a crash.

One of the most common forms of crash data comes from a vehicle’s event data recorder, or black box. This module records driver inputs such as braking, accelerating, speed, and direction. However, proprietary software is needed to extract the complex measurements in stacks of numbers and charts that are incomprehensible to lay viewers alone. DK Global’s 3D generalists use this data to refine the movements of an animated car and simulate collision forces accurately. As a result, our visuals demonstrate the factors leading up to the crash and reveal whether someone was driving negligently.

Additionally, event data recorder information can clarify the rotational forces exerted on a person’s body, providing attorneys a solution to connect injuries to the collision. For instance, a concussion can occur at roughly 90 to 100 g’s of force, which is roughly equal to striking your head against an object at 20 miles per hour. Thus, DK Global animated demonstratives often help attorneys realign their focus in low-speed collision cases from soft-tissue damages to cognitive impairments suffered from coup-contrecoup injuries.

Today, both Plaintiff and Defense attorneys are using lifelike accident reconstructions to bolster their arguments. These animated demonstratives augment their cases’ evidence to clarify how liability, causation, and damages are connected. As a result, the attorneys who work with DK Global have been able to maximize their cases’ value and attain results faster. To find out more, contact us today for a personalized case review with a Visual Consultant.