3-D Animations For Litigation Of Highway Accidents

Abstract

After A Highway Accident Has Occurred, Answers Are Sought To The Fundamental Question What Happened? And To Various Related Questions. Eye Witness Testimonies May Be Incomplete, Inaccurate, And Conflicting. Forensic Engineers Are Often Engaged To Provide Answers That Are Consistent With Professional Analyses Of The Evidence. If The Case Is Not Settled, Litigation Will Proceed And The Forensic Engineer Can Expect To Testify As An Expert Witness Giving His/Her Opinions And Explanations. During Testimony, The Expert Witness May Use Various Items Of Demonstrative Evidence To Help Explain The Opinions. Computer Hardware And Software Technologies Have Made It Feasible In Some Cases To Produce Animations To Illustrate Those Opinions. Courts Have Admitted 3-D Scientific Animations As Demonstrative Evidence When The Proper Foundations Have Been Laid. If The Animations Fairly And Accurately Depict The Expert Opinions Without Prejudice And If They Have Been Disclosed In A Timely Manner, Then Admissibility Objections Will Probably Be Overruled.