Vehicle Accident Reconstruction

Having knowledge and experience to gather all the information needed to present how and why an incident occurred.

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Forensic Engineering

Engineering experience that fully understands the physics involved with collision analysis for crash data retrieval, vehicle inspections or complete accident reconstruction.

Determining the cause of an accident or vehicle malfunction can be difficult. Everyone involved has varying accounts of events, there are multiple site and roadway factors to consider as well as a variety of electrical and mechanical components in a vehicle’s confined space.

Our team of experts includes mechanical and civil engineers and an ASE Master Technician for a combination of practical experience and engineering background. We are adept at analyzing collisions involving any number and combination of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, off-road motor vehicles, bicycles, trains, pedestrians, and more.

Examining the involved vehicles and the site of the incident, our engineers carefully document roadway evidence, geometry, and conditions as well as damage to the vehicles. The investigation process also includes documenting incident scenes and the vehicles with state-of-the-art High Definition Survey (HDS) Scanning to create photo-realistic 3D point clouds and full 3D visualizations of collision events and downloading any “black box” event data related to the incident. From speed determination and site distances to crush analysis and velocity potential, our team will make sure you get the facts you need.

Rapid Response

Our Nationwide Rapid Response Team responds to critical incident events anytime, anywhere at a moment's notice. Contact us to find out how the Nederveld rapid response team can be of service to you, and we will be happy to provide you with after-hours contact information.

Collision Analysis

Our team of engineers are experienced in handling a wide variety of incidents, including but not limited to:

  • Motor vehicle collisions ranging in severity from very serious to the very minor (including those involving multiple vehicles and commercial vehicles)
  • Download of airbag control modules (“black boxes”) and heavy vehicle ECMs
  • Motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian impact events
  • Single vehicle rollovers and loss of control.
  • Vehicle dynamics, vehicle testing and roadway friction assessment
  • Train, snowmobiles and various other motor vehicle collision analysis

The collision analysis techniques used by Nederveld are always based on physical evidence documented at the scene and during vehicle inspections, as well as by evaluating photographs and measurements taken by emergency response teams.

Commercial Vehicles

Our engineers have the knowledge, experience and equipment to thoroughly document and accurately analyze any incident involving a range of commercial vehicles, including the following:

  • Collisions and failures involving commercial vehicles, heavy trucks and equipment
  • Transit, buses and commercial passenger carrier events
  • Railroad and railway events

In addition to photography, measurements and high definition scans of commercial vehicles, Nederveld provides the following services:

  • Download and interpretation of heavy vehicle engine control modules (ECMs or “black boxes”)
  • Brake system measurements and analysis with state-of-the-art ultrasonic measurement and recording equipment
  • Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) compliance
  • Telematics and GPS information analysis
  • Locomotive electronic data recorder (EDR) analysis

Motorcycle/Recreational Vehicle Evaluation

Our experts are skilled at analyzing the unique factors involved with motorcycle, recreational vehicle, and other specialized vehicle collisions, including:

  • Differing visibility factors
  • The impact of road conditions and road hazards
  • Stop distance and braking ability
  • Safety features and standards
  • Weight capacity and load issues

Event Recorder Data

Nederveld has the equipment and training to download/image the “black box” data both from passenger vehicles and heavy vehicles. The engineers’ extensive training and experience facilitates the obtainment of data from even the most heavily damaged vehicles. Our team of experts have the education, training and experience to correctly and confidently analyze the information contained within event data recorders and convey the findings in an approachable and understandable way.

If you have an inquiry about the event data possibly recorded by a vehicle please do not hesitate to contact us, and an engineer will be happy to let you know what information may have been recorded.

Roadway and Work Zone Design

Collisions are often the result of multiple contributing factors converging at the point of the incident. The multi-disciplinary approach of Nederveld allows the engineers to analyze the roadway-vehicle-human interface. Areas of examination include:

  • Highway geometry, roadside design and pavement edge drop-off
  • Construction zone temporary traffic control design, implementation and safety
  • Traffic signalization, traffic control warrants and roadway striping and signage issues
  • Visual obstructions and sight triangles
  • Railroad crossing design, equipment and traffic control

Testing, Documentation and Product Liability

Whether a vehicle component failure produces a collision event or the failure results from the event is often a crucial determination for many catastrophic collision events. Workmanship and vehicle performance issues often affect a driver’s ability to safely operate, stop and handle the vehicle. Nederveld can identify those commonly difficult-to-determine contributing factors. Services offered to aid in this determination include the following:

  • Vehicle performance testing
  • Roadway friction testing
  • Brake system performance measurements and evaluation
  • Component failures, tire/wheel failures, workmanship and product design
  • Vehicle fires and source
  • Product evaluations and reasonable alternative designs

In addition to documenting the vehicle using High Definition Survey (HDS) Scanning, we will document the components themselves with HDS if they remain in place on the vehicle or if they have been removed.

State-of-the-Art Analysis

Our engineers combine advanced analysis methodologies with cutting-edge measurement and documentation equipment. This combination yields accurate and reliable analysis of the incident.

Nederveld’s deeper understanding of the physics, mathematics, and planer dynamics at the core of the analysis methods allows the engineers to correctly analyze even the most challenging problems and present the results in a clear and easy-to-understand manner.

The engineers of Nederveld have authored numerous peer-reviewed and accepted treatises on contemporary forensic engineering analysis and methodologies. Nederveld emphasizes continuing education via both teaching and training for its team as well as regularly attending the most up-to-date training to stay at the forefront of the industry. Nederveld engineers additionally teach courses in forensic engineering analysis and methodologies to further hone their presentation skills and ability to approach the state-of-the-art analysis methods utilized.

Collision and Event Visualizations

Nederveld specializes in collision and event visualizations using state-of-the-art, high-definition laser scans. Using ultramodern documentation methodology and the most advanced visualizations software yields the production of highly-detailed visualizations depicting our analysis findings and presenting them in a way that clear and easy-to-understand for clients and jurors alike.

Experienced in collision reconstruction, Nederveld is a nationwide leader. In August of 2020 OEC Forensics became part of Nederveld Inc. This brings national expertise with over 20 years of collision analysis experience to the Nederveld team.

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