A Forensic Weather Experts Role in Weather-Related Transportation Accidents
When accidents occur on the roads, railways, on the ocean, or in the air, weather often plays a significant role. Poor weather conditions may obscure visibility, create unsafe road conditions, or cause injuries to passengers. In these cases, our experts are relied upon to analyze the weather conditions at the specific time and location of the accident to determine how they may have contributed to the event.
Types of Transportation Cases Where Forensic Weather Expertise is Critical
1. Automobile & Trucking Accidents
In car or truck accidents, weather is often a contributing factor. Conditions such as ice, snow, rain, fog, or even sun glare can increase the likelihood of a crash due to reduced visibility or slick road surfaces. Our experts will review past weather data to determine if weather conditions on the day of the accident could have led to hazardous driving conditions. We can also analyze the weather, forecasts, and advisories along a vehicle’s route to determine when they first encountered inclement conditions, and if they should have known it was coming.
Recently, our experts have been seeing more truck accident cases than ever before due to more snowstorms and ice storms happening in Southern states. CompuWeather was retained by the plaintiff in a truck accident case where the truck driver was attempting to park at a rest stop for the evening, and was involved in an accident. Our experts provided hourly and daily weather observations, National Weather Service alerts, advisories, and more to prove weather conditions were not only hazardous, but also expected days in advance. CompuWeather’s analysis led to a favorable settlement for the plaintiff in this case.
2. Aviation Accidents
When it comes to aviation accidents, conditions like turbulence, thunderstorms, low visibility, and strong winds often lead to injuries to passengers or fatal crashes. Our meteorologists can determine wind speeds, fog , visibility, precipitation, forecasts and more to assist attorneys with their investigations.
3. Railroad Accidents
Train accidents can also be influenced by the weather. Delays, derailments, or injuries to passengers can be caused by poor weather conditions – snowstorms, heavy rainfall, and flooding can contribute to these incidents. Our experts can provide the weather factors in question to determine the impact they had on track conditions.
4. Maritime Accidents
In maritime transportation, weather conditions such as fog, high winds, waves, and storms pose a major threat. From injured passengers on small boats to damage on large vessels, our experts can provide the weather conditions in question to help understand what occurred out at sea. Specifically, we can analyze wind speeds, temperature, wave and swell heights, precipitation, forecasts, and more at the specific loss location, as these are all important factors in a maritime investigation.
As an example, we’ve provided a maritime weather analysis for a case in which the plaintiff fell and was injured on a fishing charter boat. The plaintiff claimed that the boat’s captain should have known rough seas were possible and not taken passengers out that day. Our expert analyzed the forecasts, as well as the actual wind speeds and wave heights on the day of the incident, and determined that the weather conditions were not poor enough for the boat to have cancelled the fishing trip. This was useful information for our client, who was representing the fishing charter company.
How Our Experts Determine Weather Conditions at an Accident Site
In weather-related transportation cases, our experts review and analyze historical weather data and certified weather records. These include:
- Hourly and daily weather observations
- National Weather Service alerts
- Advisories
- Special weather reports and statements
- Surface weather maps
- National Weather Service forecasts
- National Weather Service storm event summaries
- Satellite imagery
- Doppler radar data
By working with a forensic meteorologist on your weather-related transportation case, you receive an expert analysis of the weather conditions at the specific time and location the accident occurred. Thus, you mitigate the risk of a costly and unfavorable outcome in court. At CompuWeather, we have the tools and experience needed to help you better understand the cause of the accident you’re investigating.
