There are ten million car accidents in the United States each year and, while most result in only bumps or bruises, there are many fatalities. To help determine who is at fault in these incidents, attorneys often enlist the services of a Vehicle Crash Expert. These professionals are automotive engineers with a mastery of physics and vehicle dynamics that can conduct tests and analysis to form an opinion on the cause of the accident.
In addition to conducting physical examinations of the accident scene and vehicles, they use mathematical theories and equations to determine factors such as a driver’s speed or when they applied the brakes. They can also perform skid analysis and measure distances, helping them support or challenge police reports. Additionally, they may be able to review information captured by the vehicle’s event data recorder also known as black box data that provides vital details on seatbelt use, speed, and brake usage.
The Vehicle Crash Expert can use this information to identify if the defendant violated New York State’s traffic laws, such as by driving too fast or tailgating another vehicle. They can also determine if the collision was caused by poor road conditions, reckless actions or careless driving, or by the involvement of pedestrians, bicyclists, trucks, and buses.
An important aspect of the work of a Vehicle Crash Expert is interviewing witnesses to establish what they saw during the incident. A good witness can be crucial to the success of a personal injury case. However, it’s important to remember that eyewitnesses may have an emotional investment in the outcome of a case, and they should not be offered any type of payment. This can have a negative effect on their testimony and credibility.
Using all of this information, the expert can then create diagrams and other visual aids for use during the trial. This can help the jury better understand the complex issues involved in a vehicular accident and provide clarity to the court.
An expert can also assist with the evaluation of medical records and evidence, as well as the analysis of any crash videos or other recordings. In addition, they can review the specifications and engineering reports of any equipment at issue in a crash. For example, if the crash involved brake failure, the engineer can examine the manufacturing process to assess the likelihood that faulty brakes were responsible for the crash. Likewise, if the crash was due to an uneven tire, an expert can review the manufacturing process and the design of the tires in order to determine whether the tires were defective. Finally, if the accident was caused by the use of a commercial vehicle, an expert can take into account the unique dynamics and heavier weight of these vehicles. This can help to make determinations about a truck or bus’s center of gravity, the force of impact, and the severity of any injuries.