Accident Terms and Definitions

Subpoena
Document issued by the authority of the court to compel a witness to appear and give testimony or produce documentary evidence in a proceeding. Failure to appear or produce is punishable by contempt of court.

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

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."

Disregarding traffic controls
Can be going through a red light or stopping at a green light, diregarding special signals in traffic.

Brake Build-up (Brake Lag)
Occurs just after the brakes are applied and continues until they lock.

Momentum
The mass of an object multiplied by its velocity. It is a vectored quantity with both magnitude and direction.

Interrogatories
Written questions developed by one party's attorney for the opposing party.

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.

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.

Tire Problems
Under-inflation, the most frequent cause of tire failure, is considered the main culprit in the recent Firestone tire-failure fatalities. Uneven or worn-out tires are the next most serious problem and can also lead to tire failure.