When serious car accidents happen in Colorado, the local police department or Colorado State Patrol will usually complete a crash investigation. That investigation can (but not always) include an accident diagram, photos, witness statements, body worn camera footage from the investigating officers and electronic data retrieved from the vehicles. However, sometimes the investigating agency will simply complete a Colorado Traffic Accident Report without doing further work on the case.

Particularly when there are significant injuries or a dispute as to who caused the collision, enlisting the help from a forensic engineering or accident reconstruction expert is crucial for a victim's personal injury claim. 

This post describes what forensic engineers do and how they are used in Colorado car accident cases. 

What is a forensic engineer and what do they do? Accident reconstructionists typically have one or more engineering degrees and are licensed professional engineers. When hired to work on a case, they can "reconstruct" the accident by completing some or all of the following things: 3d scan the vehicles involved in the crash; download data from the vehicles' Electronic Data Recorder; photograph the accident scene; take measurements of skid marks and the point of impact of the vehicles; and research applicable local and federal regulations. 

Overhead Image of Car Accident Location

How are engineering experts used in a personal injury case? Once the forensic engineer completes their investigation, they make conclusions related to what happened and who is responsible for causing the accident. Those conclusions are compiled into a report and the personal injury lawyer uses the report to prove their case. If the case ends up going to trial, the accident reconstructionist expert can testify to the jury to offer their opinions about what happened and why.

Experienced Colorado personal injury attorneys will hire a forensic engineer early in the case, sometimes within days of a serious car accident. Although law enforcement agencies typically do a good job with their investigation, an accident reconstructionist can supplement the investigating agency's work and go beyond the initial investigation. 

If you've been injured in a car or truck accident in Colorado, please contact Kane Trial Law in Castle Rock at 303-919-7777 for a free consultation to discuss whether it makes sense to use a forensic engineering firm on your case.