Role of Expert Witnesses in Missouri Truck Accident Litigation

Large trucking companies and their insurers have armies of defense attorneys to protect them, making it challenging to recover maximum compensation after an accident. That’s why you need a Missouri truck accident law firm with the resources necessary to build a solid case. Proving your case in a truck accident lawsuit takes evidence, a key piece of which can be provided by credible expert witness testimony.

The experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC frequently work with respected expert witnesses when pursuing maximum compensation for people injured in crashes involving large commercial vehicles. Are you interested in finding out your legal options after a truck wreck? Contact us now for a free consultation and learn more about your legal options.

What Does an Expert Witness Do?

An expert witness is an individual with specific skills, training, education, or knowledge of a topic significantly superior to an average person. Expert witnesses may be considered specialists in their unique field of study.

What does an expert witness do? They testify in cases to help explain and clarify complicated topics an ordinary person may not understand when consuming information at face value. Often, these experts distill technical jargon or complex issues in a way that judges and jurors can understand. Expert witnesses may also use their unique skill set to offer opinions on highly technical matters within their field.

Three Core Aspects of a Truck Accident Case

Expert witnesses may play a key role in your truck accident case. Generally, there are three core aspects of a truck accident claim. The first is a question of liability. Who caused the accident? Was the truck driver to blame for the circumstances of the collision? The answers to these questions are not always clear-cut. However, an expert witness can help your attorney build a compelling case proving the truck driver or another liable party caused the crash.

For example, your attorney may call an expert witness to interpret and explain valuable black box data. Most commercial vehicles contain electronic control modules (ECMs) and electronic data recorders (EDR), colloquially known as black boxes. These devices record info about the truck’s operation and often contain a wealth of data about the circumstances behind a given accident and whether a truck driver may have been operating their vehicle outside the state or federal hours of service (HOS) rules. An expert specializing in interpreting this data could give the jury a better understanding of the circumstances just before a collision and whether the truck driver’s actions played a role in causing the crash.

The second core aspect of a truck accident case involves whether the semi-truck collision caused your injuries. Whoever was at fault for the truck accident is responsible only for injuries that occurred because of the accident – not injuries that have another source. As a result, it is critically important to establish a direct link between the accident you were in and the injuries you suffered.

Medical experts can testify to the likely source of your injuries, how they may impact your life, and your overall prognosis. This testimony is vital because it helps prove how the accident caused your injuries, whether you’ll need ongoing medical care, and whether you can return to work in the same capacity as before the crash. The second two points could increase the amount of compensation the at-fault party owes you.

The last core aspect of a Missouri truck accident claim concerns the extent of the harm you suffered, including both financial costs like medical bills and diminished income and more subjective losses like pain and suffering. Experts in economics can place a monetary dollar value on what you’ve suffered and will likely continue to suffer in the future, helping a jury understand the value of your claim. You can’t throw an arbitrary dollar amount to the jury. You need evidence and expert testimony to help justify why your case carries the value you say it does.

What Are the Different Types of Expert Witnesses?

Many types of expert witnesses have skills and knowledge that could support your Missouri truck accident case. Our experienced semi-truck accident attorneys can evaluate your situation and determine what kind of expert witness testimony is needed to support the unique factors of your case.

Here are some of the different types of experts your attorney might call on for help:

• Accident reconstruction expert – An accident reconstruction expert has specific skills in rebuilding the scene of an accident and considering the unique conditions present at the time of the collision. The expert’s goal is to recreate the chain of events to determine what happened in the crash and who caused it.
• Medical experts – Medical experts and physicians can establish the severity of your injuries, their prognosis, and their likely cause.
• Forensic toxicologists – These specialists can testify about whether drugs or alcohol impairment played a role in the crash.
• Trucking safety investigators – Trucking companies are required to maintain meticulous safety inspection records. A trucking safety investigator can sift through these documents, searching for safety violations that may have led to the accident.
• Mechanics – Mechanics can examine the condition of a vehicle and the parts inside it to determine whether mechanical failures or defects played a role in a collision.
• Vocational and rehabilitation specialists – Severe truck accidents can cause devastating injuries that prevent you from returning to work. Vocational and rehabilitation specialists can establish the severity of your injuries and how they impact your ability to return to work in the same capacity as before the accident.
• Psychologists – Not every injury suffered in a truck accident is physical in nature. Mental health experts can testify about the psychological impact of the crash and the emotional distress it caused.
• Financial experts – Financial experts can calculate current and future expenses related to the accident.

Get Legal Help from an Experienced St. Louis Truck Accident Attorney Near You

The highly regarded legal team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC wants to help you pursue the compensation you deserve for a truck accident that wasn’t your fault. We are ready to leverage our relationships with expert witnesses to establish who was to blame for the crash and what you suffered as a result.

Contact our office now to request a free case evaluation.