Engineer's Reports in Road Traffic Accident

When evidencing your claim, one of the first things that your local solicitor might do is to obtain an engineer’s report from an independent engineer. These motor engineers are recognised, expert witnesses who can give expert opinion to the Court, and whose reports will offer not only a value of the repair costs, or if the worst happens, a total loss value for your car but also an expert insight into the mechanics of the incident, who might be at fault and to confirm that it is indeed possible that the occupants could have been injured in the collision. 

 

Many fault-party insurers and Defendant solicitors, if they cannot defend a claim on the basis of fault, will sometimes say that the incident was not serious enough to cause injury. The favourite case-law in this instance is that of Casey v Cartwright: CA 5 Oct 2006, a Court of Appeal case which hinged on an allegation by the Defendant that the incident was so minor the occupants, the Claimants, could not have been injured.  

 

An independent, expert engineer’s report is often vital in these cases and your local personal injury solicitor in Preston will be able to use the report to show that, in fact, there is several thousands of pounds worth of damage and that it is highly likely that the occupants could be injured. Coupled with a strong expert medical report, an expert engineer’s report is something that the team at MG Legal views as vital in successfully concluding the most disputed cases. 

 

Even when there is no injury, the evidence of an expert engineer can be invaluable. It is not uncommon in this age of 4x4 vehicles that a fault party will say their vehicle, a tough, rugged solidly built off-road 4x4 type vehicle is undamaged and they dispute any damage to the other vehicle. Until the expert engineer completes a report which details our client’s vehicle was a small family compact car with crumple zones and plastic bumpers the disparity is not clear. When the expert engineer consults his database and details that undamaged vehicle 1 has a weight of 2500kg and heavily damaged vehicle 2 has a weight of 800kg, the picture is completely clear. This kind of information is priceless to your local solicitor in Preston when ensuring you receive the full value of your losses to repair your pride and joy to its former glory. 

 

The expert engineer is also vital in detailing the disparity in repair costs, it being much cheaper to repair, say, a door on a Ford Fiesta than a Ferrari 488. The impartiality of the expert engineer will allow your local solicitor in Preston to recover the full sum of the repair costs and not the value an unqualified insurance company claims handler might think it is worth. 

 

If the insurance company involved will not agree that you were injured, or that your repairs cost what you have been charged, the expert engineer’s report will give the expert evidence that your local solicitor in Preston needs to argue your case before a District Judge, who likely knows nothing about repairing cars, to obtain the award you deserve to get your car repaired properly and back on the road. 

 

Have you been in an accident leaving you with damages to your car, or injuries? Give our team a call on 01995 602 129 or email enquiries@mglegal.co.uk.