St. Mary’s County, MD Car Accidents: Will My Case Need an Accident Reconstruction Expert?
Accident reconstruction experts are rarely needed for St. Mary’s County, Maryland, accident claims. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, in the vast majority of cases, it is not very difficult to determine what happened in auto accidents here in St. Mary’s County. Most car accidents are relatively straightforward. For example, many traffic accidents involve two vehicles and if it is clear that one driver ran a red light, did not stop for a stop sign, was speeding, was driving while intoxicated, or something similar, it can be relatively “easy” to evaluate what happened. In those types of cases, an accident reconstruction expert is not needed.
Second, law enforcement officers, experienced Maryland auto accident attorneys, and insurance company personnel are very good at using other types of evidence to determine what happened. Examples include:
- Police reports — when Maryland law enforcement responds to an accident, the police examine the scene, make a rough estimate of the position of the vehicles, note matters like skid marks, and ask questions of the parties and any eyewitnesses; from this, police reports are prepared and often accurately describe what happened
- Testimony and statements from witnesses — parties to the accident and eyewitnesses provide some of the best evidence of what happened
- Scene of the accident evidence — as noted, there may be skid marks and other evidence on the pavement that can show what happened
- Vehicle damage and paint transfers — how the vehicles are damaged (and where), along with evidence that paint marks can also help determine what happened
- Vehicle “black boxes” and on-board cameras — another source of evidence can be found in the vehicle “black boxes” and in the video recordings made by vehicle cameras
- Street cameras — the same is true for street cameras that may be operated by the local government or that might be privately owned at nearby locations
Even in a complicated case, these types of evidence can be used to establish a pretty good explanation for how the accident happened (and who is legally responsible).
Another reason that accident reconstruction experts are rarely used is the cost involved. Accident reconstruction experts are hired in some cases to provide an opinion as to how the accident happened. Experts provide that opinion based on their training, experience, and education, and they tend to charge significant sums for preparing a report and providing testimony. Further, to provide and justify their opinion, various forensic methods and techniques are needed. These include obtaining precise measurements of the scene and vehicles, making a close examination of evidence, laboratory testing of evidence, sophisticated computer modeling, and more. All of these methods are expensive. The expenses can increase if detailed graphics and animated depictions are prepared. These costs will, of course, have to be deducted from any money judgment that the victim or victims receive. Because of this, using accident reconstruction experts can be cost-prohibitive.
Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today
This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601.
