The Importance of an Accident Reconstructionist in Trucking Accident Cases

If you have ever been involved in a trucking accident case in Alabama, you may think you understand what happened. 

The other guy ran a red light or a stop sign before he plowed into you. 

Clearly, it was his fault, you say. 

However, the science of analyzing the factors that went into causing a truck accident has become highly technical. An accident reconstructionist is an expert whose job it is to determine the speed at which each vehicle was driving, the conditions at the time of the crash, the location of the crash, and the impact points on each vehicle. 

Accident reconstruction is a painstaking process and a growing field. It is increasingly considered a reliable science that government agencies and private companies are turning to for determining the cause of a collision. 

Testimony from an accident reconstructionist at trial can convince a jury that the facts of the trucking accident are as accurate as you portray them and deliver you a victory in your personal injury case.

A Trucking Accident Reconstruction Team   

An accident reconstruction team is used when extensive physical or monetary losses must be compensated through litigation or an insurance claim.  

Trucks have special considerations concerning their larger size, the required stopping distances required, and a higher center of gravity.  

You will want to employ professionals with an engineering background. They will include: 

• Math and Physics – The physical evidence at the scene can tell the story of the trucking accident. How fast were the parties traveling at the collision point, and who hit whom? What direction was each vehicle facing, and were they accelerating or decelerating?
   

• Accident Scene – A reconstructionist will use surveying equipment to measure an accident scene quickly before it is cleaned up. They create a 3D model of the scene, and we can use the animation as a visual during your trial. The model will be presented to the court along with video from the scene, skid marks, police reports, witness testimony, and damaged vehicles.
   

• Black Box Recorder – Collecting data in data recorders (EDR) stores the truck’s operations, such as speed, braking, engine performance, location, acceleration, hours-of-service compliance, or how long the driver slept. We calculate the distance and time it would take to deliver goods as assigned. We will send a spoliation letter to the trucking company to preserve the evidence contained in the black box.  

Our truck accident reconstructionist becomes an expert on the events leading to your trucking accident. This, combined with visuals, a police report, expert witnesses, and any video taken from the scene, becomes irrefutable evidence. 

Determining Negligence in a Trucking Accident Case   

When your trucking accident personal injury lawyer uses an expert accident reconstructionist to substantiate your claim, we should be able to determine who was the negligent, at-fault party. 

Things to consider are: 

• Faulty road conditions due to construction or missing signage 

• Aggressive driving 

• Distracted driving 

• Truck equipment failure 

• DUI or drug use by either driver 

• Speeding 

• Environmental conditions such as fog, rain 

• Reduced visibility 

• Whether the truck was maintained and serviced regularly 

• Whether the truck had been loaded in a balanced manner to withstand a collision 

Your Alabama Trucking Accident Lawyer  

With Alabama as a hub for transportation and logistics companies, we have seen increased vehicle accidents involving large trucks. After all, six interstates cross Alabama, allowing goods to be shipped to various markets.  

However, with commercial trucks weighing 10,000 pounds to 40 tons and passenger vehicles weighing about 5,000 pounds, there were 8,579 truck-involved accidents in Alabama in 2020. Among them, 130 led to fatalities, and 2,330 people were injured. 

The insurer for the truck company will try to claim you were at fault for your accident. If that argument is successful, it would bar you from recovering your trucking accident case under Alabama’s contributory negligence rule.   

Attorney J. Allan Brown is well acquainted with the claims the insurance companies will make to prevent you from receiving compensation for your medical expenses, property losses, and lost wages, both now and in the future.  

He relies on forensic and accident reconstructionist experts to recreate your Mobile area trucking accident. Call his office at (251) 473-6691 to arrange a complimentary consultation on your Alabama trucking accident case.