Determining fault after a motor vehicle accident relies on evidence: police reports, witness statements, photos, vehicle damage patterns, and sometimes traffic camera or event-data-recorder information. Many states apply comparative negligence rules, meaning more than one driver can share fault, which can affect how much a claim is worth.
Often the first official record of how the crash occurred.
Independent accounts can support or contradict each driver's version of events.
Scene photos, dashcam, and traffic-camera footage help reconstruct the crash.
The location and pattern of damage can indicate direction of impact and speed.
Many states allow fault to be split between drivers, reducing (not eliminating) a claim.
Many vehicles log speed, braking, and other data in the moments before a crash.
