Crash Analysis Reports (Sample)
Collision reports are generated from the standpoint of the case going to court. These provide a level of detail that will withstand scrutiny from legal counsel. As required by the court, these crash analyses are written from an unbiased and non-partisan position. The facts of the case are presented, interpreted, and explained in a logical, sequential manner so that complex driving and traffic systems can be understood by laypersons. Consequently, the end-result is a fair and just legal decision for your client(s).
Just because the causes of a crash are unforeseen, doesn’t mean these are unforeseeable.
The common theme of the crashes below is human error. In the bus incident, the driver failed to follow protocol that facilitates the transition of passenger to pedestrian. The cement truck driver knew that the air brakes had failed the inspection, but he drove the truck nonetheless. And in the collision between the pickup truck and the pedestrian, the driver did not complete a meaningful scan the intersection. Consequently, the driver missed the pedestrian on the cross street and collided with her.
SEE SAMPLE CRASH REPORTS BELOW (CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD FULL REPORT):
Crash Analysis Report #1
In the late-morning on a weekday, a transit bus driver missed the passenger waiting on the north side of a “T” intersection. The driver proceeded through the intersection, stopping on the intersection’s south side. The rear of the bus stopped in the intersection. Two vehicles in the right lane behind the bus changed lanes in the intersection to move around the stopped vehicle. A third driver farther back in the left lane, had her attention drawn to the vehicles changing lanes in the intersection. Consequently, the driver missed the pedestrian crossing against the light to both meet her friend at the bus stop and catch the bus. At 80kph (50mph) the pedestrian was struck by the car.
REPORT’S PURPOSE: to determine if the transit driver was remiss in his/her duty of care when operating a transit bus.
Crash Analysis Report #2
On a Monday, a cement truck driver parked his vehicle on a hill in front of a concrete pumper trailer. The driver reported problems with the truck’s brakes. This serious defect despite the truck being in the shop the previous Friday for its mandatory annual inspection. After stopping and applying the parking brake, the truck “drifted.” A worker placed a rock under the wheel to secure the vehicle. After a short time, the rock failed. As the truck moved, the driver ran to get in the cab. The cement truck rolled backward. It slammed into the pumper trailer. The truck pushed the truck and trailer aside. The vehicle rolled almost six truck length before the driver wrestled himself into the cab and brought the vehicle to a stop.
REPORT’S PURPOSE: to determine if the cement truck driver did, in fact, apply the parking brakes when he stopped.
Crash Analysis Report #3
The crash between a pickup truck and a pedestrian occurred at an urban multi-lane intersection. The crash happened after 10pm in the late-fall. Despite it being dark, there were six street lights at the intersection in addition to ambient light from shops and other vehicles. The intersection had traffic controls specifically for left turning traffic. At the time of the collision, however, the left turning vehicle did not have a protected left turn signal. Driving a pickup truck northbound on [ROAD], he turned left at the intersection. Because the driver planned to move into the right lane, he was looking in that direction. Before proceeding into the intersection, he failed to shoulder-check left. Consequently, he struck the pedestrian.
REPORT’S PURPOSE: to determine if the driver of the pickup truck failed in his duty of care when executing a left-turn.