Crash Investigators Get Hands-On With Motorcycle Crashes at Illinois Conference

 Posted on October 21, 2012 in Personal Injury

A Honda motorcycle traveling 30 mph plowed broadside into a parked Cadillac, flew into the air, and fell to the pavement. But this was no tragedy. It was a test crash, staged last Wednesday in the parking lot at Star Transport for members of the Illinois Association of Technical Accident Investigators during their 26th annual training conference. "Hands-on experience is essential. You can't learn everything from a textbook," said Tazewell County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Anthony, the association's vice president. "If you're testifying at a trial where somebody can be put away for 20 or 40 years, it's vital that everything you're saying on the witness stand is accurate," he said. Physics, engineering and other academic disciplines are used by accident reconstructionists, who normally are called in after a traffic fatality or a crash that causes injuries. Accident reconstructions from law enforcement and private practice along with representatives from peripheral fields such as insurance and engineering spent the afternoon Wednesday watching motorcycle vs. car crashes, analyzing them and listening to experts. It was no accident that motorcycle collisions were the focus Wednesday. Traffic fatalities are up this year in Illinois - 708 at last count, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation - and so are deaths involving motorcycles. "We're seeing more motorcycles on the road, particularly people in the 40 to 55 age range, and more motorcycle accidents," said Dave Keltner, the association president, who is an Illinois State Police trooper. Thirteen motorcycles were used in crashes Wednesday. A crash reconstruction team from the University of Tulsa set up the collisions with help from association members. If you have experienced injuries due to the negligence of another driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your suffering. Please contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney in DuPage County to maximize your possible benefits.