Patent ID: 7660725

Claim:
A method of estimating liability for a vehicle accident using a computer system, comprising: retrieving vehicle data from a memory of a computer system; estimating at least one stopping distance of a vehicle based at least in part on the retrieved vehicle data, wherein a stopping distance is an approximate distance for the vehicle traveling at a specified speed to stop; estimating a perception distance based at least in part on the retrieved vehicle data, wherein a perception distance is an approximate distance between a location of the vehicle when a driver of the vehicle first sensed danger of the accident and a location where the vehicle accident ultimately occurs; the computer system comparing the estimated perception distance to at least one estimated stopping distance to determine whether the estimated stopping distance at the specified speed is less than the estimated perception distance; assessing an opportunity of the vehicle to avoid the accident based at least in part on the comparison of the estimated perception distance to the at least one estimated stopping distance, wherein assessing an opportunity of the vehicle to avoid the accident comprises determining that the vehicle had an opportunity to avoid the accident if the stopping distance at the specified speed is less than the estimated perception distance; the computer system estimating an effect on liability based on the opportunity to avoid the accident, wherein estimating an effect on liability based on the opportunity to avoid the accident comprises: estimating an increase in liability if it is determined that the driver of the vehicle had an opportunity to avoid the accident based on the stopping distance at the specified speed being less than the estimated perception distance; and estimating no increase in liability if it is not determined that the driver had an opportunity to avoid the accident based on the comparison of the stopping distance to the estimated perception distance; and storing the estimated effect on liability in a memory of the computer system.