How Auto Accident Reconstruction Works

When you are involved in an automobile accident, one of the most important things that your car accident lawyer will do is hire an auto accident reconstructionist to help show the jury what actually happened during the accident. This is a highly important part of the process, as it will be much harder to prove to the jury that the other driver was at-fault without an expert telling the jury what happened.

If you have been in an automobile accident, you deserve to sue the at-fault party for your damages. If you decide to do this, not only will you need a great lawyer, but also one that frequently works with accident reconstruction experts. Contact John Foy & Associates today for a free consultation and case review.

How Auto Accident Reconstruction Works

Auto accident reconstruction is a forensic process where an expert will use the evidence collected after an accident to build a model. The investigation report is used to show others how the accident likely occurred. This type of reconstruction can be performed after almost any type of accident. 

While it is most commonly used to model car accidents, it can also be used to model shipping or aviation accidents. Reconstructionist experts look at any evidence that survives an auto accident, such as tire skid marks or crush damage to vehicles, or by speaking to eyewitnesses to fill gaps in their knowledge. They then use a variety of scientific methods to form their opinions about how accidents happened.

Qualifications of an Auto Accident Reconstruction Expert

Auto accident reconstructionists are typically people with engineering experience. Auto accident reconstruction requires skills in math, physics, modeling, or other highly specialized skills. To ensure that an auto accident reconstructionist is competent and knowledgeable, the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (“ACTAR”) was established to credential auto accident reconstructionists.

Evidence Used by Auto Accident Reconstruction Experts

Auto accident reconstructionists will take into account almost any evidence that is made available to them during their investigation into the accident. For example, the auto accident reconstructionist can take seemingly innocuous evidence, like the length of tire skids, and use mathematical formulas to calculate the speed that the car was driving at the time it slammed on brakes. 

The Point of Auto Accident Reconstruction

The point of auto accident reconstruction, as with any other expert witness, is to have a highly qualified expert testify at a trial to help the jury understand what is happening. If you do not have an accident reconstructionist testify at your trial, you might get into a situation where it is simply your word about what happened against the defendants. Remember, you have the burden of proof, and a tie will go to the defendant.

When you have an auto accident reconstructionist, however, you have a major advantage on your side: having an expert witness. Expert witnesses are special because they are the only witnesses that are allowed to testify about their opinion, rather than just facts. Expert witnesses are almost always seen as vastly more credible than any other witness, even if they are not particularly likable.

Having a skilled and knowledgeable auto accident reconstructionist on your side makes your case stronger, more likely to win, and more likely to receive a higher award from the jury. Further, having a credible expert witness can make the other party worried about the potential for a high award, and settle the case more quickly rather than deciding to proceed to trial.

Cases that Might Require an Auto Accident Reconstructionist

There are certain cases that might benefit even more from an auto accident reconstruction expert. Some of these cases include cases that involve:

• Severe injuries or death, where the plaintiff is not available to testify on their own behalf
• Traumatic brain injuries or other injuries causing the plaintiff to forget the accident
• Car accidents involving insurance fraud or other questionable motives that make the defendants lie
• Cases against businesses where insurance lawyers refuse to concede any ground and contest you at every turn

However, every single car accident case can benefit from an auto accident reconstructionist, even cases where there is a video of the accident. Having an auto accident reconstructionist testify as your witness at trial can only help your case, never harm. Having a knowledgeable auto accident reconstruction expert on your team will help you get the justice that you deserve.

Products Liability 

Sometimes, your auto accident lawsuit will revolve around defective products, such as if an accident was caused by your brakes failing or your injuries were made worse by a defective airbag. In these cases, an expert witness is not only crucial but you will likely be required by law to hire one. 

Auto accident reconstructionists can help you in this area by determining what exactly happened during the accident so that another expert witness can tell the court that those events are not possible absent a product defect. This is a surefire way to win a product liability case, as the manufacturer of defective products is essentially automatically liable for any injuries that their product caused. In these cases, it is of vital importance that you hire a lawyer that frequently works with knowledgeable auto accident reconstruction experts.

Contact John Foy and Associates Today

When you are injured in an auto accident, you deserve compensation for your injuries. Sometimes this means that you will have to vindicate your rights in court by filing a lawsuit. If this happens to you, it is in your best interests to have a skilled and professional attorney that frequently works with knowledgeable auto accident reconstructionists.

The “Strong Arm” John Foy has nearly 30 years of experience helping people recover damages from their auto accident injuries. He frequently works with highly experienced auto accident reconstructionists to help his clients get the biggest possible awards in court. If you have been involved in an auto accident, contact John Foy & Associates today for a free consultation and case review.