Accident Terms and Definitions

Brake failure
Brake failure can happen. Drum brakes are more commen to fail. Modern dual-circuit brake systems have made total brake failure an unlikely event. If one side of the circuit fails, the other side is usually sufficient to stop a vehicle.

Common law
Law which derives its authority solely from usage and customs of immemorial antiquity or from the judgments and decrees of courts. also called "case law."

Cause of action
A legal claim. Certificate under penalty of perjury - A written statement, certified by the maker as being under penalty of perjury.

Tailgating
Folowing too close to another car, not alowing space for you to brake or car in front to brake. The operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property

Collision Scrub
Occurs during a traffic collision when the downward and rotating forces cause a smearing of tire material on the road surface.

Frequent or unsafe lane changes
In driver test books there are laws that state what type of passing may be done acording to the yellow lines paited in the road or highway. There are some laws that regulate the distance that a lane change can be made related to an intersection.

Triangulation
Technique for scene documentation where items of evidence are located by measuring the distance between two (2) reference points.

Linear Momentum
A quantity associated with the motion of an object along a straight path. The linear momentum of an object is defined to be equal to its mass times its velocity.

Blind Spots
The back corner of the car never moves. It always stays in the same exact place. Mirrors are unable to show this spot. This back area is known as blind spot

Reference Point
In angular momentum, the point in space around which the motion of an object is described. The angular momentum of an object is defined in relation to some point, the reference point. The velocity and radius of an object are measured from the reference point.