Accident reconstructionist injured in simulation here in N.J.

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In the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident, law enforcement officials will likely conduct an investigation to determine just how the wreck took place and other important factors such as the estimated speed of the vehicles. While this may prove to be a relatively simple exercise when two cars are involved in a low-speed fender bender with little to no personal injuries, it can become decidedly more difficult when there are fatalities, a multitude of vehicles and/or other non-standard issues presented (road design, etc.). In these scenarios, law enforcement officials, as well as legal professionals and insurance companies often turn to accident reconstructionists, who use advanced machinery and intricate calculations to help determine what exactly transpired at the scene of car crashes. Interestingly, the New Jersey Association of Accident Reconstructionists recently hosted the annual convention for accident reconstructionists across the U.S. and Canada in Atlantic City. Here, these professionals gathered to give talks, verify accident formulas and, of course, view various live-action accident simulations. As it turns out, one of these live-accident simulations actually turned quite dangerous thanks a mechanical defect in some of the equipment being used to help stage the car crash. According to reports, a group of accident reconstructionists gathered at Bader Field back on the afternoon of October 9 to observe a simulated 40 mile-per-hour crash involving a minivan and passenger car that was equipped with both a black box and remote-controlled braking system. In order to achieve the crash, the two vehicles were attached to a pulley system connected to a pickup truck that would pull them together as it drove forward. Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong, as one of the cables pulling the vehicles came loose at a relatively high rate of speed and struck a nearby radio operator directly in the abdomen. He was evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment, where physicians thankfully found no broken bones and diagnosed him with painful bruising before releasing him the next day. While things ended well in this scenario, this isn't always the reality in most car accidents, as drivers, passengers and pedestrians can all suffer serious life-altering injuries in the blink of an eye. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another, consider speaking with an experienced legal professional. Source: The Press of Atlantic City, "Man injured when vehicle-safety experiment goes wrong at Bader Field in Atlantic City," Anjalee Khemlani, Oct. 10, 2013