Date: March 7, 2018Attorney: Andrew R. Bronsnick
By Andrew R. Bronsnick
When you’ve been hurt in a motor vehicle accident involving a commercial truck, the injuries suffered can often be serious and catastrophic. In addition, there can be a wide range of factors contributing to the cause of the accident. To present a clear and persuasive argument to a judge and jury, it’s often essential to bring in expert witnesses. Here are some of the experts who can be critical to the success of a truck accident injury claim:
- Accident reconstruction specialist — This expert will customarily visit the scene of the crash, looking at skid marks, vehicle damage, gouges in the road and other physical evidence. This specialist will then calculate speed, location and other information and recreate how the accident happened.
- Safety expert — The safety expert will testify with respect to what a reasonable person would have done under the circumstances to maximize the potential safety for the truck driver and others on the road, and may give an opinion as to whether the driver acted accordingly.
- Human factors expert — This person will give evidence regarding what happens to a person physiologically when they attempt to drive without sufficient rest or sleep—driver fatigue is a common cause of truck accidents.
- Medical expert — The medical expert will look at medical records and testimony, and will project the short-term and long-term medical needs of the injured party, including rehabilitation and physical therapy.
- Mechanical expert — This person will fully inspect the truck and will also review the vehicle’s maintenance and inspection log, ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
- Economics expert — The economics expert will calculate the value of all actual and projected losses, including wages and income, as well as unreimbursed medical expenses.