When To Hire An Accident Re-constructionist And How To Select One
What Types Of Cases Should An Attorney Hire An Accident Reconstruction Expert?
Every large case with significant injuries and substantial insurance coverage
Accidents with serious injuries and large amount of insurance coverage or liability will bring the insurance company to the court room with a highly experienced legal team. To have a shot at these cases an attorney must be fully prepared and that means having a talented accident reconstruction expert will be essential.
Every trucking case
Every trucking case will bring full support form the trucking company and their insurance companies. Along with the other essentials required for representing clients in a trucking case, having a qualified accident reconstruction expert is not optional.
Trucking Accident Litigation Essentials For Plaintiffs Attorneys
How to select an accident reconstruction expert
Review education and resume – PhD in engineering is preferred.
To be able to prove the causes and effects of an accident and demonstrate the events by evaluating the crash evidence is a highly technical skill that requires a deep understanding o physics and crash science. An engineering degree is very beneficial for this type of work.
Review their background – Former law enforcement or government employee is a plus
Juries tend to relate more to former law enforcement, and their ability to communicate with current law enforcement or government officials will be a significant plus
Must Be Able To Reduce Complicated Formulas To Simple Terms A Jury Can Comprehend
Speak to them at length, be sure that the candidate is able to explain the complicated science and physics of a crash to a laymen – the jury must be able to understand what the accident reconstruction expert is showing for them to be effective
Animated or Computer Rendered Illustrations Depicting The Event.
All the science and orator skills in the world will be useless without the ability to produce a visual account of the events. Your candidate should be able to produce a computer rendered animation of the crash that aligns perfectly with the evidence - times, locations and speeds to have a 100% accurate recreation of the accident.
A rapport or connection with law enforcement
During the accident reconstruction process, your expert will likely need to work with law enforcement officials on a regular basis while gathering all evidence and records. You want an expert who has a background with law enforcement or is very familiar with them and has established a rapport with the local law enforcement officials. This will ensure that the reconstruction expert will be able to acquire the information needed to create an accurate reconstruction
Other Important Considerations For A Successful Outcome
Purchase As Many Of The Involved Vehicles As Possible And Place Them In Storage
Why go to the trouble to purchase and store the wrecked vehicles? While preparing for the trial your accident reconstruction expert may need to revisit the evidence at any time to continue to create an accurate reconstruction. Additionally other expert witnesses may need access to the vehicles as well. This particularly important for trucking cases.
