How is Physical Evidence Gathered?

In the aftermath of a car accident, physical evidence found at the scene of the wreck can be used to determine fault. Your attorney will likely obtain the crash report and any photographs of the incident, either from the injured party or from the investigating police officer. Footage may also include the responding officer’s vest cam video, dashcam video from the involved vehicles, and surveillance footage from nearby commercial establishments or homes. Your lawyer may also visit the accident scene to measure skid marks, if any, and look for debris that may help determine who was responsible for the wreck and your resulting injuries. In addition, photographs of your injuries, pieces of hardware used to treat your injuries, and orthopedic appliances used during your recovery could help prove the injury and its causation.

Can Expert Witness Testimony be Used as Evidence?

In cases involving catastrophic injuries resulting in permanent impairment, a plaintiff may be totally disabled or partially disabled and require costly, long-term medical treatment. Proving and valuing these expenses often involves special expert witnesses, such as vocational rehabilitation experts and economists used to calculate economic loss. In more complicated motor vehicle crash claims, engineering experts or accident reconstructionists may be used. These are expert witnesses who can figure out how an accident happened indirectly using measurements of crashing data. Almost all vehicles today have black box data. When a crash occurs, this information can tell us the speed of a vehicle, when braking occurred, when seatbelts were engaged, and when airbags were deployed to help determine who was in what position on the roadway when it’s in dispute.

Richard Martin

For the 30 years that I’ve known Joe, he has always been highly regarded in his profession and actively involved in civic organizations. Definitely would and have referred him for personal injury litigation.