Patent ID: 7742936
Filing Date: 2010-06-22
Classification: G06Q,G16H

Abstract:
1. A method of estimating liability for a vehicle accident, comprising: providing to a computer system a real set of characteristics for a real vehicle accident; wherein the computer system is configured to access a memory, wherein the memory comprises sets of characteristics for past or theoretical accidents, wherein the sets of characteristics for the past or theoretical accidents comprise two or more impact groups for the past or theoretical accidents, wherein the impact groups comprise pairs of impact points, wherein, for each of at least one of the pairs in the two or more impact groups, one impact point of the pair is an impact point for a first vehicle in a past or theoretical vehicle accident and the other impact point of the pair is an impact point for a second vehicle in the past or theoretical vehicle accident, comparing the real set of characteristics for the real vehicle accident to the sets of characteristics for the past or theoretical vehicle accidents to determine a nearest matching set of characteristics among the sets of characteristics for the past or theoretical accidents, wherein comparing the real set of characteristics for the real vehicle accident to the sets of characteristics for the past or theoretical vehicle accidents comprises: determining an estimate of liability for the real vehicle accident based on the estimate of the base liability associated with at least one impact group of the nearest matching set of characteristics, wherein determining the estimate of liability for the real vehicle accident based on the estimate of the base liability associated with the at least one impact group of the nearest matching set of characteristics comprises the computer system extracting, from a second database table, a base liability associated with the impact group for the past or theoretical accidents that corresponds to the roadway configuration/accident type combination specified for the real vehicle accident that includes the pair of impact points specified for the real vehicle accident.