Patent ID: 7809586

Claim:
A method of estimating liability for vehicle accidents using a computer system, comprising: the computer system estimating a theoretical path of a straight traveling vehicle using position data for one vehicle in a vehicle accident that has already occurred; the computer system estimating a theoretical path of a turning vehicle using position data for another vehicle in the vehicle accident that has already occurred, wherein the turning vehicle is in the same lane at the completion of a turn as the straight traveling vehicle; estimating, for at least one of the straight traveling vehicle or the turning vehicle that is in the same lane at the completion of the turn as the straight traveling vehicle, at least one vehicle avoidance speed, wherein the vehicle avoidance speed is an approximate speed that allows a reacting vehicle an opportunity to avoid the vehicle accident; the computer system making at least one comparison of the vehicle avoidance speed with at least one specified speed for the at least one vehicle, wherein the computer system making at least one comparison of the vehicle avoidance speed with at least one specified speed of at least one vehicle comprises: estimating at least one safe speed of the at least one vehicle, wherein the safe speed is estimated based on at least the speed limit, road conditions and weather conditions at the time and location of the accident; the computer system comparing at least one vehicle avoidance speed with at least one actual speed of at the at least one vehicle; and the computer system comparing at least one vehicle avoidance speed with the at least one estimated safe speed for the at least one vehicle; assessing an opportunity of at least one vehicle to have avoided the vehicle accident that has already occurred, wherein the assessment of the opportunity of the at least one vehicle to have avoided the vehicle accident is based, at least in part, on the comparison of the at least one vehicle avoidance speed with at least one actual speed of the at least one vehicle and on the comparison of the at least one vehicle avoidance speed with the at least one estimated safe speed for the at least one vehicle; and the computer system estimating, when possible, a contribution to liability of at least one vehicle based, at least in part, on the opportunity of the vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident that has already occurred.