Connecticut roads can be dangerous and unpredictable if drivers do not pay attention. When a car accident occurs, oftentimes injury also follows. In cases where people are harmed, they may be eligible to bring a legal claim against the purported negligent drivers. A civil suit against a negligent individual can involve settlement negotiations, depositions, evidence collection and sometimes even trial. What happens during those trials can affect other’s legal rights for the future. A particular verdict or an evidentiary ruling at one trial may pave the way for future proceedings. One such impactful ruling is occurring right now in a Millford, Connecticut court.
In 2009, a Connecticut police officer, while driving his cruiser at 94 M.P.H., hit two Connecticut teenagers. Both teenagers died from the collision. Now, a criminal trial is being held against the officer for their deaths. The lawyer for the prosecution has proposed to play a video recreation of the crash to the jury.
There is already a video of the accident, which was captured by the officer’s camera. However, the prosecution alleges that the video recreation will give the court some invaluable crash angles that the police video cannot provide.
The defense argues the video is a distortion of the facts and calls it a “Disney World video.” According to the defendant, the video shows inaccurate perspectives of the crash.
If the animation is permitted into evidence, it will be the first time a crash recreation would become viewed evidence in a Connecticut courtroom. While this is a criminal trial taking place, such a ruling may extend to civil trials, where injured parties and loves ones bring suit against the negligent driver for monetary compensation.
The video recreations could be invaluable evidence for harmed parties, who do not have video tape or eye witnesses to describe the incident to a jury. With the assistance of a crash recreation expert, a video reenactment could be incredibly accurate and helpful to the decision-makers of a case. The Millford judge’s ruling may be a big one for injured victims in the state.
Source: Connecticut Post, “Lawyer objects to Disney World version of car crash,” John Burgeson, Sept. 20, 2012
