The Role of Accident Reconstruction Experts in a Car Accident Case
A car accident can occur in a matter of seconds, but take weeks or even months for investigators to determine who is at fault. Many car accident cases, especially those with complex challenges and unique issues, may require accident reconstruction experts to determine liability.
What Is an Accident Reconstruction Expert?
An accident reconstruction expert is someone uniquely qualified to comment on the cause of an automobile accident. It is a professional with significant experience, knowledge and/or education in a relevant subject who is hired during an auto accident case to help determine or prove fault.
An accident reconstruction expert could be someone such as an engineer, traffic expert, scientist, forensic investigator or law enforcement officer. It is a car accident specialist who can be used for his or her expertise to establish liability, or legal responsibility, for a car accident in California.
What Does an Accident Reconstruction Expert Do?
An accident reconstruction expert will re-create how a car accident took place to help decide which driver is at fault and why. These trained professionals typically use their unique backgrounds, physical car accident evidence and special technology to reconstruct the collision with computer simulations or 3D models.
According to Los Angeles injury lawyers, the purpose of an accident reconstruction specialist is to answer key questions, such as which driver was in the wrong place at the wrong time, who had the right-of-way, the speeds that both vehicles were traveling and whether the collision could have been prevented. This information can be sent to a car insurance company or presented in court to help a claimant prove liability.
Accident reconstruction experts rely on information and evidence collected during an investigation to piece together the cause of a car crash. This may include physical evidence from the scene, photographs, video footage of the accident, witness statements, vehicle damage patterns, police reports and data from vehicle black boxes (when available).
Do I Need to Hire an Expert for My Car Accident Case?
Whether or not your car accident case could benefit from hiring accident reconstruction experts depends on the circumstances. Simple car accident cases, such as minor collisions where fault is clear, typically do not need testimony from experts. However, a crash expert can be useful if a car accident case has complications, such as:
- Disputed liability
- Three or more drivers
- Shared fault
- Catastrophic injuries or fatalities
- Commercial vehicles (such as large trucks)
- Hit-and-run accidents
- No witnesses present
Hiring a crash reconstruction expert can strengthen your claim and help you prove that someone else is responsible for the collision. The right accident reconstruction specialist can provide unbiased, scientific evidence in your favor to support what you are claiming, oppose someone else’s false claims or enhance the value of your settlement.
How Do I Hire an Accident Reconstruction Specialist in California?
If you are interested in hiring a crash reconstruction expert for your claim in California, contact an experienced car accident attorney in LA to access some of the best specialists in your region. Law firms work with high-quality experts on injury cases often.
An attorney will know which expert to hire based on your case’s unique aspects and your goals. A lawyer can reach out to the expert for you, retain his or her services if desired, and (in some cases) front the costs of hiring the expert until your case reaches a settlement.To find out whether your car accident claim in Los Angeles could benefit from an accident reconstruction expert, contact Rose, Klein & Marias, LLP for a free case review.