4 Instances When Your Auto Accidents Lawyer Can Use An Accident Reconstructionist

Are the facts in your auto accident claim proving hard to prove? Indeed, it can be hard to make a coherent case because accidents are often fast and violent and leave the victims dazed or even unconscious. Proving how the accident happened and which driver is at fault becomes difficult. This is an instance when your auto accident lawyer invites an accident reconstructionist. The role of this expert witness is to simulate the way the crash happened and consider the speed, physics, direction, and other factors. When should you get a reconstructionist?

1. When Proving Fault Is Not Clear Cut

In some instances, it's very clear that another driver is at fault. However, there are cases where the fault is not clear-cut, for example, when both vehicles were not respecting lane discipline. 

An accident reconstruction specialist can recreate the collision and estimate what happened in these cases. If both drivers say they weren't speeding, your attorney may need to call a reconstructionist to find out what happened.

2. When There Are No Credible Eyewitnesses

If no one saw what happened, your attorney will call upon a forensic engineer to create a human factors report. This type of report examines how people behave and interact with their surroundings. It gives insight into what each driver did wrong or right before an accident.

3. When Both Drivers Are Fatally Injured and Can't Recall Events

If a driver suffers fatal injuries, their account of events before impact is lost forever. Your auto accident attorney will call a reconstructionist to piece together what might have happened based on evidence found at and around the accident scene. 

Reconstructionists rely heavily on skid marks to determine how fast vehicles were going, where they were positioned in relation to one another, and how much braking was done before the collision.

4. When There Are Drastically Different Versions of Events

It's common for drivers to give wildly different accounts of how a crash occurred. If there are conflicting stories, your attorney should find a collision expert who can examine each party's version of events and make conclusions based on scientific evidence, such as skid marks or damage from impact. This type of testimony is critical in court.

An auto accident is often traumatic and leaves emotional and physical scars, therefore you need as much compensation as you can get. But you need to make a concrete case for that to happen. Consult your auto accident lawyer to discuss hiring an accident reconstruction specialist.