Expert Witnesses in St. Louis Truck Accident Lawsuits

Make no mistake: truck accident lawsuits are complicated. Determining what happened in accidents involving trucks, who is to blame, and what compensation victims are entitled to can hinge on complex matters of physics, medicine, safety regulations, and more.

The key questions involved in a truck accident case might be too hard for a jury of ordinary people to answer on its own. Enter the expert witness who can use their specific education and insight to clarify key details and explain them in plain English.

Expert witness testimony is often critical to resolving a case successfully and recovering fair compensation for the truck accident victim. The truck accident attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC frequently work with accident reconstructionists, medical specialists, economic experts, and other technical specialists when seeking financial compensation for injured people.

Contact us now to speak with our legal team about how we can consult with experts to explain complex technical details in your truck accident claim. Your free consultation comes with no strings attached.

What Is an Expert Witness in a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawsuit?

An expert witness in a St. Louis truck accident lawsuit is a person with specialized knowledge in a field relevant to the case who can be called on to explain highly technical matters to the court.

More specifically, Section 490.065 of Title XXXIII of the Missouri Revised Statutes establishes the rules concerning expert testimony in St. Louis and throughout the state. It specifies that an expert is someone who is established by “knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education” who may provide opinion-based testimony if their “specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.”

Truck accident cases might require experts in fields like:

Accident reconstruction, to explain what caused the crash
Medicine, to explain the cause, prognosis, and treatment of injuries
Physical and occupational therapy, to establish the long-term consequences of the injuries on the victim’s ability to live independently or work
Economics and finance, to discuss the overall financial impact of the accident
Commercial motor vehicle safety, to determine if the trucker or trucking company violated state and federal regulations
The trucking industry and its operations, to establish whether poor hiring, training, or monitoring practices contributed to the accident

Both the plaintiff (the person bringing the lawsuit) and the defense can select their own expert witnesses to help them build their respective cases. The plaintiff’s experts will seek to prove that the defendant was at fault for causing the accident and to establish what compensation the plaintiff deserves. The defendant’s experts, on the other hand, will attempt to cast doubt on the defendant’s role in causing the accident or on the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s injuries.

Why Are Expert Witnesses Important in Truck Accident Cases?

Expert witnesses are critically important in many truck accident cases because they can explain concepts that the average person might not immediately understand. For example, do you know offhand the prognosis of a complete fracture of the C4 vertebrae, how to project lost earnings over a span of decades, or how to read and interpret a driver’s daily log? Probably not, and it is unlikely anyone sitting on a jury would, either.

Expert witnesses play a critical role in personal injury claims because they can explain complex concepts that might be fundamental to determining key elements of a truck accident case.

How Can an Accident Reconstruction Expert Help Prove Fault?

One of the most important types of experts in truck accident cases is the accident reconstruction professional. They can examine evidence to understand the likely chain of events leading up to a crash based on their in-depth understanding of physics and engineering.

Looking at factors like impact patterns, tire marks, pavement scarring, and other physical evidence, accident reconstruction experts reverse-engineer how the vehicles collided and why.

What Evidence Do Expert Witnesses Review in Truck Accident Cases?

Truck accident expert witnesses use a wide range of evidence when investigating and explaining truck accident cases. For example, an accident reconstruction specialist might review:

Physical damage to the truck and other vehicles
Videos from surveillance cameras, dashcams, or traffic cameras
Photographs of skid marks, tire marks, and gouges on the roadway
Information from the truck’s event data recorder (EDR), or black box
Data from the truck’s electronic logging device (ELD) and GPS records
Witness statements and driver interviews
Roadway design, traffic control devices, and signage

A medical expert might discuss the meaning and relevance of:

Medical records documenting the injuries and the course of treatment that followed
Emergency room records, ambulance reports, and hospital records showing the plaintiff’s condition immediately after the crash
Diagnostic imaging like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to identify and evaluate traumatic injuries

How Do Expert Witnesses Calculate Future Damages After a Truck Crash?

While some expert witnesses concentrate primarily on what happened in the past, others might be called on to help personal injury attorneys project what will likely happen in the future. Specifically, accountants, economists, and actuarial experts can help calculate the anticipated financial and personal costs a truck accident victim may face years or even decades from now.

The process can involve:

Reviewing the plaintiff’s medical records and consulting with treating physicians to understand what care they might need in the future
Accounting for the plaintiff’s age, life expectancy, and earning potential based on ongoing impairment
Factoring in inflation, wage growth, and economic trends that may affect future costs and earnings

Can Expert Witnesses Explain FMCSA Violations in Truck Accident Cases?

One of the things specific to commercial truck accidents is the relevance of FMCSA regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration oversees the interstate trucking industry, setting standards for everything from how cargo should be secured to how often and in what way carriers must inspect their vehicles to how long a truck driver can work in a single shift.

Commercial trucking industry experts and trucking safety experts can review evidence such as truck driver logs, EDR data, maintenance and inspection records, bills of lading, shipping manifests, hiring records, and trucking company practices to determine whether the truck driver or their employer violated a critical regulation that led to the crash.

What Qualifications Should an Expert Witness Have in a St. Louis Truck Accident Case?

The specific qualifications an expert witness must have to testify in a St. Louis truck accident case will depend on the specific nature of their expertise. That said, any expert should have the same general qualities.

For example, Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC has access to a network of experts in a wide range of fields. Our truck accident attorneys have chosen the individuals we work with in this capacity based on:

Relevant education, training, and professional credentials in the expert’s area of specialization
A history of providing expert testimony or consulting services in truck accident litigation
Strong communication skills and the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts to a judge or jury
A reputation for objectivity, credibility, and for forming opinions based on the evidence rather than on what is convenient in the circumstances

Our personal injury attorneys are ready to analyze your unique situation and explain how we can work with accident reconstructionists and other truck accident expert witnesses to pursue the maximum compensation you deserve.

(314) 367-2661