Vehicle, Motorcycle & Pedestrian Accident Reconstructions

Vehicle, pedestrian, and motorcycle accident reconstructions are the scientific process of investigating, analyzing, and drawing conclusions about the causes and events during a collision between a pedestrian, or a motorcycle, and a motor vehicle. When our clients have unanswered questions such as, “What happened?”, “How did it happen?”, “Why did it happen?” and “Who is at fault?”, we provide expert analysis to deliver clear answers.

Incidents involving motorcycles are common as motorcycles are smaller and harder to see than most other types of automobiles. Reconstructing motorcycle accidents is complicated by the fact that very few motorcycles have event data recorders like those found in most passenger vehicles. This means data like the motorcycle’s speed and the operator’s actions related to accelerating, braking and steering, are often not captured. This is where an accident reconstructionist experienced in evaluating motorcycle accident reconstructions can help. Using advanced techniques and technology, the team at YA Group can assist with experts who have extensive hands-on experience with evaluating motorcycle incidents.

The performance characteristics of a motorcycle present unique challenges when reconstructing an accident. Motorcycles can accelerate quickly because of their light weight and high-power output but braking often depends more on the operator’s skill than the motorcycle’s mechanical capabilities. The team at YA is experienced in analyzing evidence collected at incident scenes and gathering relevant data from inspections of the motorcycle and other involved motor vehicles. This data is used as input in simulation software to determine how the incident occurred, which often allows us to determine the party at fault for the incident. Items such as the condition of the braking hardware on the motorcycle and how much deformation the front fork experienced can be used to tell the story of what happened in an accident.

YA Group is proud to have one of the preeminent motorcycle accident reconstructionists in the country on staff, Ed Fatzinger, M.S., P.E. Mr. Fatzinger has conducted numerous research studies and has published technical research papers about motorcycle handling and dynamics. Mr. Fatzinger is also at the forefront of motorcycle EDR research and data acquisition. He has published numerous papers on Kawasaki EDR and BRP (Can-Am, Ski-Doo, Sea-Doo) EDR systems.