Personal injury attorneys will sometimes retain an accident reconstruction expert (ARC) to help determine what likely happened that led to a car crash. Furthermore, these experts help to determine who is likely at fault for the crash and are typically retained when liability is at dispute.
ARC’s can be experienced in physics, engineering and scene inspection. They look at factors such as speed, weather conditions, visibility, angles and vehicle malfunction. Other way ARC’s determine what happened are:
• A thorough inspection of the vehicle or vehicles involved in the accident
• Analysis of vehicle and crash site images
• Review of the traffic collision report, deposition transcripts, witness statements, crash test reports, published studies and other documents
• Evaluation of victims’ medical records to determine the consistency of injuries with the available evidence
Furthermore, accident reconstruction experts are helpful in showing and describing to a jury what happened.
Another way reconstruction experts help a case is to bridge gaps between eyewitness testimony. Oftentimes, witnesses see things from different angles so ARC’s help to combine the facts of multiple eyewitness in a case and create one chain to show what happened.
If an attorney decides an ARC is needed in a case, the burden of paying the ARC will typically come out of the settlement or jury award that the plaintiff receives. This is similar to a client paying their personal injury attorney out of the settlement or jury award.
If you or a loved one have been affected by an accident or death, contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Hurst Limontes, LLC. We have decades of combined experience fighting for our clients in any number of personal injury claims. Call 317-636-0808 or email us for a free and confidential consultation.