Motor Vehicle Accidents

The role of a meteorologist is often underutilized when it comes to Motor Vehicle Accident claims or lawsuits.  Whether it’s an accident in heavy rain, snow, fog, smoke, sun glare, or hydroplaning, timing is everything and it’s very important to know exactly what the weather conditions were, when they started, when they stopped, and if they played a role in an MVA.

By using the latest technology, numerous weather records and other information like sun angle and azimuth data, our meteorologists can determine what weather conditions, visibility or lighting conditions were occurring at the scene of the accident when it occurred.  Timing is everything.  By analyzing Doppler radar imagery zoomed in over the incident location, surface observations and other reports, we will determine if it was windy when the accident occurred, if precipitation was falling, how heavy it was, or if snow or ice was present when the accident occurred.  In some of our cases, the weather conditions that existed when the accident occurred were very different than what law enforcement listed in their report when they arrived.  A matter of a few minutes can make a big difference.  Minute-by-minute astronomical data and sky conditions allow us to determine how high the sun was above the horizon and where it was located in the sky when an accident occurred.  This can be instrumental to a case.  Other cases involve determining if fog was present, how low the visibility was, or if smoke or dust was reducing visibility.

Our findings and reports are often used to help investigators and accident reconstruction experts make calculations, determinations, and conclusions.  We have worked on many significant accident cases, including multiple fatality crashes around the U.S.