Car Accident Damage: Can It Help Determine Fault?

Vehicle damage after a car accident can help prove fault for it. But, it is often not enough to establish fault. This damage can only tell investigators an important part of a story, not the entire thing. In a car accident that involves two victims, car damage can happen to both vehicles or to just one. Also, when cars are moved because of an impact, they can get damaged from other sources such as buildings, utility poles, and parked vehicles. 

It is important for accident investigators to look at the entire scene to identify fault. But, they may depend on damage to do their job. The kind, seriousness, and location of the damage on a car have a lot to say about the crash. Through the kind of damage like scrapes and dents, investigators and the victim’s Miami car accident attorney can know how the cars may have come into contact. Also, a scrape can help determine the car parts that came into contact and how they were moving relative to each other when the accident happened. Investigators will know the possible position of both cars before the crash based on the dents they sustained.    

Determining Fault in a Car Accident Based on the Damage the Cars Sustained

Investigators will determine how serious the car damage is to come up with realizations. A car with a minor dent may be traveling at a low speed or that its driver was able to finish braking on time. Serious damage can tell the investigator the speed at which a car was traveling and how hard it was hit. This could mean the driver was distracted or impaired by alcohol. 

Usually, the damage location is a vital piece of information that investigators will collect. In a car crash, it may tell them how the crash scene looked when the impact was made. But, they will need more information than the location and severity of damage to establish fault. 

Sometimes, the damage location can be good evidence of fault. In a rear-end collision, fault is often assigned to the driver who rear-ended the other vehicle. The vehicle that was hit often has damage to its rear bumper, tailgate, or trunk lid.

Minor Damage Could Mean Major Injuries

Many things can go wrong in a car crash. Even small vehicles can injure and kill. If a vehicle is involved in an accident, some factors can cause serious injuries. When it comes to car accidents, the amount of force in a crash does not matter. Instead, it is how the force is absorbed and dispersed that has a huge impact on people’s wellbeing. So, regardless of how minor or serious accident damage is, victims can sustain serious injuries.