Computerized method and system for estimating liability for an accident using dynamic generation of questions

• US 7,725,334 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Wiesman, Kimberly, Rourke, Kathleen E., Wahlbin, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Najarian; Lena
• Application Number:
  US10/306,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,736 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and systems for estimating liability for a vehicle accident are provided. In one embodiment, a question may be generated on one or more topics relating to the accident. The question may be associated with one or more answers. In some embodiments, at least one answer may be associated with a set of additional questions. An answer associated with a set of additional questions may be selected. In certain embodiments, a set of additional questions associated with the selected answer may be generated dynamically for use in estimating liability for the accident.

Claims

1. A method of estimating liability for vehicle accident under consideration, comprising:

a computer system generating plurality of questions on one or more topics relating to the vehicle accident;

the computer system displaying two or more of the plurality of questions relating to the vehicle accident;

for each of at least one of the displayed questions;

the computer system displaying a tabulation of a set of answers corresponding to the displayed question, wherein the set of answers comprises two or more answers obtained from two or more sources;

selecting an answer from the displayed tabulation of the set of answers for use in estimating liability in the vehicle accident;

the computer system displaying, in the tabulation with the two or more answers obtained from the two or more sources, the selection of the answer for use in estimating liability in the vehicle accident;

the computer system generating, in response to the selection of the answer from the displayed tabulation of the set of answers, a set of additional questions on one or more topics relating to the vehicle accident, wherein the additional questions generated differ depending on which source of the two or more sources provided the selected answer;

estimating injuries to one or more injured vehicle occupants in the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the injuries to the one or more injured vehicle occupants are estimated from one or more variables;

estimating damages due to the injuries of the one or more injured vehicle occupants;

estimating an effect of a factor on liability of at least one vehicle occupant using the selected answer;

estimating liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration as a proportion of a total liability for the accident, wherein the liability of the one or more parties is based at least in part on the effect of the factor on liability of at least one of the vehicle occupants; and

determining adjusted damages based on a proportion of liability associated with one or more of the vehicle occupants and the damages due to the injuries of at least one of the injured vehicle occupants.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting an answer from the set of answers for use in estimating liability in the accident comprises:

identifying inconsistencies in the answers obtained from two or more sources and relating to a question topic; and

selecting one of the answers obtained from the two or more sources and relating to a question topic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more topics comprise traffic control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more topics comprise right of way.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more topics comprise environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more topics comprise roadway details.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more topics comprise driver action.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first screen on a computer system for providing a set of answers to a question relating to an accident from two or more sources;

entering two or more answers relating to the accident from the two or more sources on the first screen;

displaying a second screen for selecting one of the two or more answers from the two or more answers for use in estimating liability; and

allowing a user to select on the second screen an answer for use in estimating the effect of a factor on liability.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting one of the answers obtained from the two or more sources and relating to a question topic comprises selecting the answer associated with a most likely version of the accident, wherein the most likely version corresponds to a version of the accident that is described in the majority of answers obtained from the two or more sources.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein total damages for the vehicle accident comprises compensation for one or both of lost wages and pain and suffering of at least one of the injured vehicle occupants.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the answer comprises a user providing an answer that is different from the answers of all of the two or more sources.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the displayed question and corresponding set of answers relates to at least one speed of a vehicle in the vehicle accident under consideration.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating, for at least one of vehicles in the vehicle accident under consideration, a speed to avoid the vehicle accident, wherein the speed to avoid is a speed that would have allowed the vehicle to have avoided the accident;

the computer system making at least one comparison of the estimated speed to avoid the vehicle accident with at least one specified speed for the at least one vehicle, wherein the at least one specified speed comprises an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit; and

assessing an opportunity of at least one vehicle to have avoided the vehicle accident, wherein the assessment is based, at least in part, on the at least one comparison made of at least one estimated speed to avoid the vehicle accident with at least one specified speed,

wherein estimating the liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration as a proportion of a total liability for the vehicle accident is based, at least in part, on the opportunity of the vehicle to have avoided the vehicle accident.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the estimated speed to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration is a maintain-to-delay speed for the vehicle, wherein the maintain-to-delay speed for the vehicle accident is an approximate maximum speed to avoid the vehicle accident by maintaining a constant rate of speed.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the estimated speed to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration is a brake-to-delay speed for the vehicle, wherein the brake-to-delay speed for the vehicle accident is an approximate maximum speed to avoid the vehicle accident by braking without stopping.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one estimated speed to avoid the vehicle accident is estimated from the equation:

v_new=CD/t_new

where CD is the distance from a perception point, point C, to a collision area for the vehicle accident, point D, and where t_new is an estimated time for a vehicle A to travel a specified distance from the perception point.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, in a memory of the computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with one or more values of each of;

a speed factor, wherein the value of the speed factor is based on at least one of comparison of a speed to avoid the accident with at least one specified speed, wherein the speed for avoiding is a speed that would allow at least one vehicle to avoid the accident, and wherein the at least one specified speed comprises an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit; and

a braking factor, wherein the value of the braking factor is based on whether or not a reacting vehicle attempted to avoid the accident by braking,

estimating, for at least one of vehicles in the vehicle accident under consideration, a speed for avoiding the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the speed for avoiding is a speed that would have allowed the at least one vehicle to have avoided the vehicle accident;

assessing an opportunity of a reacting vehicle in the accident under consideration to have avoided the vehicle accident based at least in part on the estimated speed for avoiding the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein assessing the opportunity of the reacting vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident comprises;

the computer system comparing a specified speed of the reacting vehicle in the accident under consideration with the estimated speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit;

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, whether the reacting vehicle in the vehicle accident attempted to avoid the accident by braking or not;

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, a value of a speed factor, a value of a braking factor, wherein the value of the speed factor is based on the comparison of the specified speed of the reacting vehicle in the accident under consideration with the estimated speed for avoiding for the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the value of the braking factor is based on whether or not the reacting vehicle attempted to avoid the accident by braking;

wherein estimating the liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration comprises the computer system applying, to a base liability, at least one numerical factor shift from among the one or more numerical factor shifts in the memory, wherein the applied at least one numerical factor shift is associated with values of the speed factor and the braking factor in the memory that match values of the speed factor and the braking factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

associating, in a memory of the computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with one or more values of;

an outcome factor, wherein each value of the outcome factor is based on a manner by which a vehicle accident may have been avoided, wherein the manner of avoiding the vehicle accident is one of;

stopping, delaying at a specified speed, or maintaining a specified speed;

wherein assessing an opportunity of the reacting vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident under consideration further comprises;

determining, for the vehicle accident under consideration, a value of an outcome factor;

wherein estimating the liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration comprises applying, to a base liability for the party, at least one of the one or more numerical factor shifts in the memory, wherein the at least one applied numerical factor shift comprises at least one numerical factor shift that matches the value of the determined speed factor, the determined braking factor, and the determined outcome factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein associating, in the memory of the computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with the one or more values comprises:

associating, in the memory of the computer system, one or more numerical factor shifts with each of at least two of a plurality of cases, wherein each of at least two of the cases includes;

a comparison between a specified speed of a reacting vehicle with a speed for avoiding, wherein the specified speed is an actual speed, a safe speed, or a speed limit, wherein the speed for avoiding is an approximate speed of the reacting vehicle that would allow the reacting vehicle to avoid the vehicle accident;

whether or not a reacting vehicle attempt to avoid the vehicle accident by braking; and

a manner by which a vehicle accident may have been avoided, wherein the manner of avoiding the vehicle accident is one of;

stopping, delaying at a specified speed, or maintaining at the specified speed; and

wherein estimating the liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration comprises applying, to a base liability, a numerical factor shift in the memory that is associated with a case, from among the plurality of cases, that matches the values of a speed factor, a braking factor, and an outcome factor for the vehicle accident under consideration.

8. A system configured to estimate liability for a vehicle accident under consideration, comprising:

a CPU;

a data memory coupled to the CPU; and

a system memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the system memory is configured to store one or more computer programs executable by the CPU, and wherein the computer programs are executable to implement a method for estimating liability, the method comprising;

generating a plurality of questions on one or more topics relating to the vehicle accident;

displaying two or more of the plurality of questions relating to the vehicle accident;

for each of at least one of the displayed questions;

displaying a tabulation of a set of answers corresponding to the displayed question, wherein the set of answers comprises two or more answers obtained from two or more sources;

selecting an answer from the displayed tabulation of the set of answers for use in estimating liability in the vehicle accident;

displaying, in the tabulation with the two or more answers obtained from the two or more sources, the selection of the answer for use in estimating liability in the vehicle accident;

generating, in response to the selection of the answer from the displayed tabulation of the set of answers, a set of additional questions on one or more topics relating to the vehicle accident, wherein the additional questions generated differ depending on which source of the two or more sources provided the selected answer;

estimating injuries to one or more injured vehicle occupants in the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the injuries to the one or more injured vehicle occupants are estimated from one or more variables;

estimating damages due to the injuries of the one or more injured vehicle occupants;

estimating an effect of a factor on liability of at least one vehicle occupant using the selected answer;

estimating liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration as a proportion of a total liability for the accident, wherein the liability of the one or more parties is based at least in part on the effect of the factor on liability of at least one of the vehicle occupants; and

determining adjusted damages based on a proportion of liability associated with one or more of the vehicle occupants and the damages due to the injuries of at least one of the injured vehicle occupants.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein selecting an answer from the set of answers for use in estimating liability in the accident comprises:

identifying inconsistencies in the answers obtained from two or more sources; and

selecting one of the answers obtained from the two or more sources.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more topics comprise

right of way.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more topics comprise

environment.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more topics comprise

driver action.

9. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions stored thereon, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement a method for estimating liability for vehicle accident under consideration, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of questions on one or more topics relating to the vehicle accident;

displaying two or more of the plurality of questions relating to the vehicle accident;

for each of at least one of the displayed questions;

displaying a tabulation of a set of answers corresponding to the displayed question, wherein the set of answers comprises two or more answers obtained from two or more sources;

selecting an answer from the displayed tabulation of the set of answers for use in estimating liability in the vehicle accident;

displaying, in the tabulation with the two or more answers obtained from the two or more sources, the selection of the answer for use in estimating liability in the vehicle accident;

generating, in response to the selection of the answer from the displayed tabulation of the set of answers, a set of additional questions on one or more topics relating to the vehicle accident, wherein the additional questions generated differ depending on which source of the two or more sources provided the selected answer;

estimating injuries to one or more injured vehicle occupants in the vehicle accident under consideration, wherein the injuries to the one or more injured vehicle occupants are estimated from one or more variables;

estimating damages due to the injuries of the one or more injured vehicle occupants;

estimating an effect of a factor on liability of at least one vehicle occupant using the selected answer;

estimating liability of one or more parties in the vehicle accident under consideration as a proportion of a total liability for the accident, wherein the liability of the one or more parties is based at least in part on the effect of the factor on liability of at least one of the vehicle occupants; and

determining adjusted damages based on a proportion of liability associated with one or more of the vehicle occupants and the damages due to the injuries of at least one of the injured vehicle occupants.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein selecting an answer from the set of answers for use in estimating liability in the accident comprises:

identifying inconsistencies in the answers obtained from two or more sources; and

selecting one of the answers obtained from the two or more sources.

16. The computer storage readable medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more topics comprise right of way.

17. The computer storage readable medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more topics comprise environment.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more topics comprise driver action.