How to Prove the Driver that Hit You Was Speeding
Most accidents on the road are a result of speeding. While you may know that the other driver was speeding, you’ll need valuable evidence to support that claim. Doing your due diligence to document the scene and recruiting expert witnesses could help strengthen your case. Here’s more on how you can prove that speeding caused your crash.
Quick Facts on Speed-Related Accidents
When drivers choose to speed, they have less time to react to sudden stops in traffic, which means they can inflict more damage in a crash. The National Safety Council provides the following stats on speeding from 2021:
- Speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities
- Speeding killed 12,330 people, approximately 33 people per day
- Speeding contributed to 11,057 total fatal accidents
- Speeding-related deaths increased by 7.9% from 2020
- 2021 recorded the most speeding-related deaths since 2007
Common Ways to Prove Speeding in a Car Accident
If you believe speeding caused your accident, you must gather evidence to prove the other driver’s negligence. Here are some common ways to prove speeding:
- Photos & Videos – Surveillance footage might reveal that the other driver was traveling beyond the speed limit. If you’re able, you should also take pictures of details that could indicate the other driver’s speed, such as long skid marks and your car’s damage.
- The Other Car’s Black Box Data – A car’s ‘black box’—or event data recorder—could reveal valuable vehicle data, such as speed, steering angles, brake application, and more.
- Eyewitness Testimony – If multiple bystanders claim that the other driver was speeding, their testimony as a witness could help support your case. It’s important to note that these testimonies are not always reliable and must be combined with other forms of evidence.
- The Police Report – When police arrive at the scene, they will conduct their investigation and may indicate factors that could have contributed to the accident, such as speed.
How an Accident Reconstructionist Proves Vehicle Speed
An accident reconstruction expert is often recruited to analyze a crash scene and determine how it occurred. These experts use mathematical principles and science to recreate an accident and measure different factors that may have contributed to the crash, such as speed.
An expert accident reconstruction’s testimony is considered highly credible in personal injury cases. They use fact-based evidence to conclude compared to what an eyewitness simply saw.
Accident reconstruction experts can determine the at-fault driver’s speed in the following ways:
- Examining the Scene – Accident reconstruction experts gather evidence from the crash scene that could help them piece together what happened. They might use photographs, video footage, debris, and other forms of evidence. The more information and evidence you can provide them with, the better.
- Inspecting the Vehicle – The accident reconstructionist also thoroughly inspects the vehicles involved in the crash. They will examine every detail of the car, including any hair or blood present in the vehicle. This may seem unusual; however, these details reveal the amount of occupant movement that occurred within the car, which could indicate the force of the impact.
- Crush Analysis – In a crush analysis, the reconstruction expert measures the energy required to cause the damage inflicted on the vehicle at impact.
- Skid Mark Analysis – A skid mark analysis measures the length of the skid marks at the crash scene to determine speed. The faster a car travels, the longer the skid mark is when the vehicle stops suddenly.
- Time Distance Analysis – If the accident reconstructionist can determine the time it took for the at-fault driver to travel between two points, they could calculate the car’s speed.
Contact the Law Giant Today
When another driver’s reckless behavior causes your car accident, you must recruit an experienced attorney to support your compensation claim. Your accident might have resulted in a mountain of medical bills, car damage, and post-accident trauma.
The Law Giant has extensive experience handling car accident claims in Texas and can recruit accident reconstruction experts to determine the other driver’s speed. Contact our office today at (866) 435-5219 to schedule your free consultation.
