How to prove who was driving in a fatal car accident?

[Wendy1985]

Finger prints on the streaming wheel?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Insurance will also conducting their own independent investigation especially if occupants have injuries to claim where it makes sense to go after the insurance to pay for their medical bills.

This depends on the state laws. It can be quite complicated regarding who pays for what and where it comes from.

For example in my state we have PIP (Personal Injury Protection) coverage which is required by law. It's part of our No-Fault aspect and "pays for medical expenses, rehabilitation, funeral expenses, lost wages, and in-home assistance for you and your passengers injured in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. Passengers who own their own cars collect under their policy." Now to further complicate things PIP follows the driver typically in my state whereas the other liability follows the car. This becomes moot if there's no insurance by the driver in which case you're looking at legal action of another sort to recoup medical costs.

Auto insurance and the police investigation are separate such that citations or criminal charges are independent of the insurance company's decisions or liability (depending on state laws this become important the liability part). The responsibility of an auto insurance company typically follows how they are filed with a state's DOI (Department of Insurance) and any applicable state laws.

 

[Jennasis]

The investigation will come up with an answer. Not strangers on the DIS.

Welcome, btw.

 

[Dan Murphy]

You always notice

Haha. Maybe comes from my "moderator training" 20 some odd years ago.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I know who was driving because within hours of the accident, my friend from the back seat had told his family who was driving, and one of his family members had told me. The original information he shared with his family does not match what the driver told police.

If this is something that will gnaw at your conscious, speak up.
Can you call the proper authorities with your information anonymously?

 

[AlaskaMOM]

I have a lot of doubt that any of them would be wearing gloves or big coats. They are all weather-resistant Alaska kids and I don’t think they would wear gloves or coats unless going to do snow sports or snow activities.

Having dealt with a car accident fatality in AK, I know how you can be unsure of law enforcement actually getting to the truth (or wanting to). But since it's a fatality hopefully the troopers help out in the investigation. I know that they have the ability to figure out a lot of what us "civilians" wouldn't be able to.
And if there are insurance claims I would assume the company would also be pushing for accuracy. But don't expect any of this to go quickly - it takes months or even a year or 2 for it to all be settled.
I believe it was over a year before the man responsible for the crash (not an accident - his actions were deliberate) that killed my son went to trial.

After all this - I am so sorry for the loss of your friend. I really wish more people understood that vehicles are capable of tremendous harm and treat them as such!

 

[ashley0139]

Interesting first post.

Sorry about your friend.

 

[JimMIA]

Interesting first post.

Sorry about your friend.

You found the death of OP's friend..."interesting?"

 

[ashley0139]

You found the death of OP's friend..."interesting?"

I find it interesting that this was the first thing a new poster chose to post about on a Disney message board.

But you knew that.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hey there. I came across this old forum post and wanted to offer my thoughts. I'm sorry to hear about your friend's tragic accident. While it's been some time since this post was made, it's always worth reaching out to a private investigator for a fresh perspective.

Welcome to the dis, Aaden.

it's always worth reaching out to a private investigator for a fresh perspective.

Do you know any good PI's, Aaden?

 

[LuvOrlando]

Anyone else ever wonder if writers pop up here to test a plot for believability?

 

[fly girl]

Anyone else ever wonder if writers pop up here to test a plot for believability?

or to just and vanish

 

[Mysterian]

Anyone else ever wonder if writers pop up here to test a plot for believability?

I don't get why they won't just submit the question and openly admit that it's a hypothetical for a novel, or whatever.

Though, there are people out there whose live action role playing doesn't revolve around swords and sorcery, who have the need to live an imaginary second life through interaction with strangers. But what do I know, I just fly a freakin' starship.

 

[GAN]

Well ...the answer is simple Watson. The other survivor(s) would/should know who was driving

 

[WEDcryoHEAD]

I can almost guarantee that no DNA was lifted from steering wheel or fingerprints taken. Accident investigators usually do not do such things especially if they feel confident of whom was driving and that physical evidence and occupant and witness statements support each other. Also steering wheels are usually textured or dimpled and are very hard to pull identifiable fingerprints from. Many times you have to have an independent investigator or insurance investigator do such things if there is a question such as in this case. I don't want to discourage, but in most cases these vehicles have no windows and are left in tow lots, exposed to the elements, so DNA evidence gets compromised, not to mention chain of custody problems.

 

[sam_gordon]

Well ...the answer is simple Watson. The other survivor(s) would/should know who was driving

That's the obvious answer. There are two survivors, not counting the actual driver.

I can almost guarantee that no DNA was lifted from steering wheel or fingerprints taken. Accident investigators usually do not do such things especially if they feel confident of whom was driving and that physical evidence and occupant and witness statements support each other. Also steering wheels are usually textured or dimpled and are very hard to pull identifiable fingerprints from. Many times you have to have an independent investigator or insurance investigator do such things if there is a question such as in this case. I don't want to discourage, but in most cases these vehicles have no windows and are left in tow lots, exposed to the elements, so DNA evidence gets compromised, not to mention chain of custody problems.

BUT, this was posted over a year ago. I doubt a private investigator would be able to get much now.

I do remember though, when I was a senior in HS, we had a "caravan" of cars going out to lunch. The lead car got into an accident (no injuries that I remember). About a decade later, I had an investigator (maybe a lawyer?) contact me saying they were looking into that accident and wanted to know what I remembered. I thought that was really strange.

 

[WEDcryoHEAD]

That's the obvious answer. There are two survivors, not counting the actual driver.

BUT, this was posted over a year ago. I doubt a private investigator would be able to get much now.

I do remember though, when I was a senior in HS, we had a "caravan" of cars going out to lunch. The lead car got into an accident (no injuries that I remember). About a decade later, I had an investigator (maybe a lawyer?) contact me saying they were looking into that accident and wanted to know what I remembered. I thought that was really strange.

Civil lawsuit I am sure.

 

[sam_gordon]

Civil lawsuit I am sure.

I'm sure. But after such a long time? For, from what I can remember, a "routine" accident?

 

[WEDcryoHEAD]

I am sure an involved party is now claiming a long term debilitating injury that they are attributing to that accident.

 

[tvguy]

Anyone else ever wonder if writers pop up here to test a plot for believability?

Maybe initially, but life has taught me that the stranger a story is, the more likely it is to be true.