Vident Partners provides vetted Accident Investigations expert witnesses for cases involving multi-disciplinary scene investigation, root cause analysis, evidence preservation and spoliation disputes, industrial and workplace incidents, and vehicle collisions. Request a referral today.
Find a Accident Investigations Expert →Overview
Accident investigators conduct systematic, multi-disciplinary examinations of incident scenes to determine sequence of events, contributing factors, and root cause. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates civil aviation, rail, highway, marine, and pipeline accidents and defines investigative methodology adopted by private-sector experts. 1 For workplace incidents, OSHA regulations under 29 CFR Part 1960 require federal agency accident investigations, and OSHA's Process Safety Management standard at 29 CFR 1910.119 mandates incident investigations at covered facilities. 2 Their methodology emphasizes objective data collection, chain-of-custody integrity, and root cause analysis applicable across transportation, industrial, and premises settings. The ACTAR (Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction) credential validates technical competency for vehicle crash reconstruction specialists. 3 Counsel rely on these experts where liability turns on disputed causation or alleged spoliation of evidence.
The NTSB is charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events across all other modes of transportation to determine probable cause.
Case Types
Multi-disciplinary scene investigation and documentation
Root cause analysis of injury and loss events
Evidence preservation and spoliation disputes
Industrial and workplace accident investigation
Vehicle and equipment collision investigation
Qualifications
Related Specialties
FAQ
A qualified accident investigation expert should hold relevant Professional Engineer (PE) licensure or ACTAR accreditation where reconstruction is involved, along with formal training in scene documentation, evidence preservation, and root cause analysis. They should bring extensive field experience across transportation, industrial, and premises incidents and prior deposition and trial testimony experience.
Accident investigators are retained in matters requiring multi-disciplinary scene investigation and root cause analysis, including industrial and workplace incidents, vehicle and equipment collisions, premises injuries, and product-related failures. They are also used in spoliation disputes where the preservation and documentation of physical evidence is contested.
In general, forensic expert fees are determined by the expert themselves, based on a variety of criteria. Among those criteria are professional experience, forensic experience, certifications and credentials, case specialization, and publications. Vident does have some influence over expert fees by comparing experts within a specialty, but ultimately it is a personal decision by the expert.
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Vident Partners connects attorneys with qualified accident investigations expert witnesses. Complimentary consultation, 24-hour turnaround, no obligation.
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