At first it sounds like something out of science fiction, but 3D printing has arrived – and it can be very helpful to the litigator and litigation consultant.
In 3D printing, which was invented in 2003, the user either electronically sculpts or scans nearly any object into the printer, using a computer-assisted design (CAD) program to tinker with the color and shape of the object when necessary. It can be a hand tool, an architectural model, an auto part – nearly anything within a reasonable size limitation. The printer does the rest.
When you press “print,” the printer builds up a three-dimensional replica of the object gradually, by adding material one layer at a time in plastic or metal. In a short time, you have a new solid object in your hand. It is hard to believe, but this process creates usable, functional objects. A tool such as an adjustable wrench can be “built” on this type of printer, using an existing wrench or a 3D model as a template.
While futurists are already speculating on whether this technology, once its price is reduced, will revolutionize manufacturing or even become the basis for a new type of industrial revolution, we are already planning on using it for trial exhibits in the courtroom.
At A2L Consulting, we are able to adapt this technology to offer a new option for demonstrative evidence. We can create miniature scale models of buildings in a construction case or larger models of tiny parts that can be at issue in a patent case. Previously, these types of replicas had to be sculpted by hand by artisans – a much more lengthy and expensive process.
In a case involving medical malpractice, a 3D printer can create a model of the body part in question, showing the damage or injury. A good example would be a 3D model of a spinal cord injury, which can be built up from a 3D medical image.
The cost of these printers is already beginning to come down, so we expect that their use will only expand in the coming decades. We are one of the first trial exhibit providers to offer this technology.
As is always true in the trial technology industry, anything that helps a juror understand or visualize the issues at trial is extremely helpful. Many jurors are visual learners and will naturally gravitate towards a 3D object during their deliberations, since it “tells a story” for them.
The short video below will give you a good idea of how this technology can be used. A2L Consulting has the ability to perform 3D printing operations for litigation in most major cities.
Leave a Comment