“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill,

and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.” ……..Deepak Chopra

“So now it is time to disassemble the parts of the jigsaw puzzle or to piece another one together,

for I find that, having come to the end of my story, my life is just beginning.” …..Conrad Veidt

 

Whether you believe that you have an ultimate purpose on this earth  mapped out by your God…or whether you think you are “just along for the ride,” it matters not when it comes to finding out the truth after an accident occurs… and your life is shattered…for the foreseeable future…and sometimes irreparably for years.

When it comes to structure and mechanics…on the surface, one could say, “it’s only metal…or plastic…Thank God you weren’t seriously hurt.” But there’s a lot more to the story….

A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2013 shows that an estimated 7,200 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents a decrease of about 4.4 percent as compared to the 7,530 fatalities that were projected to have occurred in 2012,  Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first three months of 2013 decreased by about 5.6 billion miles, or about a 0.8-percent decrease. The percentage change in fatalities has been steadily decreasing since the significant 12.3 percent increase projected for the first quarter of 2012. 

Source: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811808.pdf

 

The philosophy and work ethic of Crashteams http://crashteams.com/ encompasses not only the latest and greatest technological tools available to solve the mysteries that plague our highways… (Current and cold cases), but also provide answers in the courtroom and give resolution to crime victims. Their expert investigators and engineers take another look….they go the extra mile employing methods and resources not used previously.  AND…. they get irrefutable results!

Ladyjustice  joined CEO, P.Eng. P.E. Tim Leggett, and Martin Boisvert, Senior Accident Reconstruction Expert for New England for a conversation concerning these issues…   See the highlights and tune in to what they have to offer….

 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

 

• Beginning the show with Intimate Partner Violence PSAs performed by Amy Robinson: http://imaginepublicity.com/2013/10/04/voice-actress-amy-robinson-creates-domestic-violence-psas/
• Introduction to our guests
• Delilah’s commentary re Imagine Publicity’s ability to assist i n awareness campaigns regarding National Domestic Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month…
• Marty Bouviert describes his background and current role
• Every crash scene is a crime scene…and has to be treated as such…
• Criminal Investigation and then there’s civil litigation… Tim Leggett’s role
• Letting the evidence speak versus what wasn’t obvious in years past and new methods
• Hand calculation and slide rules versus sophisticated software in our tool box
• Delilah asks about what can be done for the victims when mistakes are made with evidence or with medical examiners?
• Evidence and the laws of physics MUST COMPORT….
• Ten different scenarios…. Analyze, investigate, categorize it, use understanding of physics and calculate…  The Five W’s…
• Ladyjustice asks again about helping victims
• Crashteams motto….and what their job truly is….
• Preconceived ideas by the police
• Working for the victims…. It happens very often…. Speeding, alcohol example…
• Marty’s mentor: A story of a little girl traumatic brain Injury….  and solving a case that otherwise would not have been solved without a skilled professional
• History and a second Intimate Partner Violence PSA 1-800-799-SAFE
• Discussion of Crashteams involvement with Cold Cases: (i.e. James Dean) with National Geographic –
• http://www.crashteams.com/Services/Special-Services/James-Dean/James-Dean-Accident-Reconstruction.html
• A classic example of one person dead and another one alive…. Different versions OR no recollection of the accident
• TV shows where Crash teams play a role…  The “Indestructibles” ; “Caught on Camera”  http://www.tv.com/shows/the-indestructibles/ and
• http://www.forensicdynamics.com/home
• What are the capabilities of software in reconstruction nowadays?
• A discussion of “Crush”  – the angle, the depth…. Followed by creating a diagram and a bird’s eye view
• Google earth and a remote control helicopter….“A hawk flying over the accident scene”
• Technical applications to the James Dean scenario
• Our brain’s hazard detectors….
• The type of training is involved to work with Crashteams…
• The engineering side- What’s the training involved?
• The expanse of the Crashteams network – The Northeast, Southeast, Northwest etc.
• Marty speaks to when a professional “gets in over his head” he can call in a team
• Ladyjustice asks, Is there a typical timeframe to resolution?
• Infant claims …the longevity and the right to sue….   (6 months to ten years)
• Marty discusses his interaction with victims and the change in perspective re car crashes
• A discussion of the importance of the solving cases- the “sexy” junkies fighting over a bag of heroin and the guy who gets in a car crash….
• Things changed…. Marty asks, Aren’t they both just as dead?
• Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley – http://www.mass.gov/ago/about-the-attorney-generals-office/about-attorney-general-martha-coakley/ You now get the same resources in Massachusetts
• Marty’s discussion on “You can’t get the “Why” of the case and dealing with the hypotheticals
• Tim’s comment re victims “just need to know”…The realities of “little Johnny” was doing 110 MPH…
• Comparing photos of the crash damage with victim families…
• CONTACT INFORMATION:  http://crashteams.com/index.htm
• Toll Free # Contact Us: (877) 372-3728
• http://crashteams.com/corporate/index.html
• Delilah’s charge to the audience re National Domestic Awareness Month…and our final PSA

 

 

 Questions…and Answers….. 

 

• What’s the difference between a law enforcement investigation and those who work in the “private sector” of accident reconstruction?
• How does Civil Litigation come into play with Crashteams?
• “He said she said” using blood and tissue…how are such cases solved today?
• What do Crashteams professionals do in court?
• Who do the Crashteams professionals work for?
• What are the natures of the requests they receive?
• What happened to the traumatically brain injured person and what was her request years later?
• What were the details of the reconstruction of the famous James Dean accident?
• How does the victim who isn’t there or one with no memory have a voice in the investigation?
• How does the JFK assassination analogy apply to this discussion?
• How are the parameters of skid marks and vehicle damage determined with accuracy?
• What are the capabilities of Crashteam’s remote control helicopter?
• What’s the problem with a ”Y” intersection?
• What is ACTAR Certification?
• Are the investigators and engineers roles adversarial?
• What other resources are available to investigators?
• How does the backlog in the courts impact resolution to a case?
• What was the “pecking order” of car crashes historically versus today?
• Are their policies making changes with the insurance companies regarding the work of Crashteams?

 

The comments expressed on this website or on the broadcasts of Shattered Lives do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the hosts, producers, or other guests.

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