Accident Reconstruction

Accident reconstruction involves applying the principles of physics and engineering to identify and evaluate the contributing factors of motor vehicle collisions and events that may have resulted in personal injuries. The Accident Reconstruction group at NBI performsdetailed forensic investigations and analyses to help clients understand thedynamics (“how” and “why”) of motor vehicle accidentsthrough interpreting the available physical evidence. The physical evidence may be in the form of tire marks, roadway gouges, vehicle damage patterns, digital crash data, surveillance video, shoe scuffs, blood pool, etc. NBI accident investigators analyze the events leading up to an accident and shed light about the probable causes, whether it was operator, vehicle, or environment related.

Through examining the involved vehicles, inspecting and documenting the accident scene, reviewing accident reports, analyzing still images of the collision aftermath, and performing calculations, we analyze the movements of vehicles before, during, and after a collision, as well as quantify the direction of impact, vehicle speed and dynamics, change in velocities, and forces.

Accident Reconstructionists at NBI understand the systems, operations, and capabilities of bicycle, motorcycle, and trucks. Engineering analysis and reconstruction of incidents involving bicycle, motorcycle, and trucks may involve computer simulations, visibility studies,performance testing, and applying test data.

OUR TEAM

Our team consists of Licensed Professional Engineers with specialized knowledge about car accident reconstruction from advanced education,peer-reviewed technical research, practical continued training, and hands-on experience. NBI experts have experience performing hundreds of crash reconstructions involving passenger cars, commercial trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, cars, commercial trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, and stationary objects, ranging from low speed rear-end collisions to complex high-speed rollovers caused by mechanical malfunction.

We are qualified, experienced, and prepared to provide technical expert opinions on accident reconstruction in civil and criminal courts throughout California and nationwide. Our accident reconstruction experts and accident investigators in Los Angeles are retained on behalf of attorneys, insurance companies, government entities, and private industry clients to provide professional consulting services for small and large-scale issues.

RESEARCH AND TESTING

The opinions we offer are established based on science, peer-reviewed research, testing, and published analytical techniques. We consider all the available factual evidence in each case and then rely on the laws of physics and engineering principles to draw conclusions with a reasonable degree of engineering certainty. The analysis performed for car accident investigations may involve simulations, diagrams, and animations which can all be presented as demonstrative trial exhibits to illustrate the sequence of events during an accident.

Common accident reconstruction investigations that NBI experts are involved in include:

Collision Severity (Frontal, Rear-End, Side Impact, Sideswipe, Head-On)
Collision Sequence (Multiple Vehicles)
Vehicle Rollover and High Severity Reconstruction
Vehicle vs. Pedestrian Collisions
Bicycle, Motorcycle, Scooters, Recreation Vehicles (ATVs)
Commercial Vehicles (Heavy Trucks, Bus)
Sightline and Visibility Assessment
3D Drawings, Diagrams, Computer Simulations, Animations
Airbag, Seatbelt, Brake, Tire Evaluation
Crash Data Retrieval / “Black Box” download
Digital Data Retrieval (Infotainment system)
Staged Collision Investigation for Insurance Companies

NBI experts are equipped with and certified to use the following state of the art tools in their accident reconstruction analyses:

PC-Crash, V-Crash
FARO laser scanning
Drone mapping
Photogrammetry
Crash Data Retrieval (Event Data Recorders, including Hyundai/Kia and Tesla)
Infotainment imaging

LATEST TOOLS AND SOFTWARE FOR CRASH DATA RETRIEVAL

NBI owns the latest tools and software for Crash Data Retrieval used to access and image crash data from the airbag control module of most supported vehicles. We deploy a professional-grade drone for high resolution 3D mapping and aerial photography of accident scenes. The point cloud models we generate from the drone footage may depict roadway evidence and scene landmarks.When the point cloud model is incorporated in a computer simulation, it can provide perspective about the interaction between operator (driver) and environment and address sightline/visibility issues.

NBI engineers use photogrammetry software to create 3D models of damaged vehiclebased on digital photographs or videos. Photogrammetry is also used to determine the 3D location of objects appearing in photographs.

Our Los Angeles Rapid Responseteam is available to attend accident sites immediately or shortly after an incident, wherever they may have occurred. It is critical for scenes and vehicles to be preserved or examined in a timely manner because physical evidence can be volatile and lost over time.We have the resources to handle rapid response assignments in a timely manner, where we collect, photograph, measure, and document physical evidence.NBI engineers use 3D laser scanner technology to survey scenes and vehicles, and Crash Data Retrieval tools to extract electronic crash data stored in vehicles. Our preliminary findings and feedback help clients make informed decisions about the next step to take.

Through continued education, NBI’s accident reconstruction engineers and accident investigators are knowledgeable and up to date on advanced emerging technologies that can be applied to analyze complex accidents. We also investour time in research to advance the science in the accident reconstruction community. Ongoing research and testing are being conducted by NBI to study the capabilities and limitations of pre-crash and active safety technologies in modern vehicles