Police Training on Accident Investigations

 Posted on October 29, 2014 in Personal Injury

Personal injury cases involve many factors about which members of the general public may not be aware. Specifically with car accident cases, much work and behind-the-scenes preparation goes into the investigation and evaluation of the case by professionals on multiple levels, long before the case ever goes to trial or is looked at by an accident and injury attorney. Often, the collection of information begins almost immediately after an accident occurs.

Police Investigation

Besides the parties themselves and any eyewitnesses to the incident, police officers are often the first to arrive on the scene of an accident. The police are usually called by one of the parties involved in the accident, or by someone who witnesses it occur. If someone is injured or even thinks he or she may have been injured in an accident, it is always a good idea to call the police to obtain a police report of the accident, have the incident investigated, and begin building a record in case a lawsuit follows. A police officer's investigation into an accident, particularly if the accident resulted in serious injury or loss of life, is an important step in the legal process and may significantly contribute to the success or failure of a personal injury case.

According to a recent news article, some local law enforcement officials in the state of Illinois are undergoing training to more thoroughly investigate car accident cases. Many car accidents involve additional issues and factors that are immediately apparent upon arriving on-scene, and investigators are generally expected to answer several questions after a wreck. Recently, police officers in central Illinois participated in training that involved mimicking a two-car accident and letting officers watch the effects of the crash in real time.

Officers' Experiences

Illinois State Police Officers touted the benefits of the exercise, saying it allowed them to witness a controlled crash in a safe environment instead of trying to put together pieces of an accident after the fact. The crash was staged by a group made up of many former law enforcement officials who then demonstrated the steps of an investigation to the officers in attendance. They performed investigative techniques such as measuring tire marks and determining how fast the airbags deployed.

Officers who participated in the training said it gave them the opportunity to apply some of the information that had been taught and apply it in a real life situation. Those who perform accident reconstructions use the same type of information to determine the speed at which the cars involved were traveling and to possibly answer other questions that arise after a crash. As such, the training also provided a valuable chance for officers to determine how accurate the tools were that they were using in investigating crashes. This helps to avoid making mistakes in real investigations, which goes a long way in preventing the wrong person from being held responsible and being unfairly punished. In addition, the officers said the staged crash gave them a fresh perspective from the victim's point of view in accidents.

Accident Injury Attorney

Car accident cases can bring up serious legal issues. The experienced Illinois personal injury attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices have successful experience representing clients in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Kendall, and Will County. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to discuss your matter.