Forensic engineering is the branch of engineering science that in a consultative capacity, assists courts in determining causes and/or apportioning fault and damages arising out of civil matters in which structures or other man-made objects manufactured or assembled by persons are involved.

A forensic engineer may be an aerospace, civil, chemical, electrical, electronic, mechanical, marine, mechatronic or other engineering professional who provides scientific opinions in legal proceedings to help determine the cause of an incident involving a machine, structure, or material.

Forensic engineers are important to the judicial system and society because they provide expert opinion and analysis on matters of engineering, construction, product liability, failure investigation, safety assessments, risk management, and biomechanics/human factors associated with accidents/incidents for clients involved in legal proceedings.

Forensic engineers are often called to an incident scene to conduct an on-site investigation. Examination of the scene, analysis of the evidence, postulation of hypotheses, and drawing of conclusions are conducted based on the relevant engineering principles and the scientific method. They tap on their knowledge and experience to formulate opinions with respect to vehicle collision reconstruction, vehicle fires, building collapse, structural fires, as well as determining the root cause of the engineering losses.

Forensic engineers work where they are needed most, whether in a power or solar plant, manufacturing, power plants, distribution warehouses, telecommunication, construction sites — wherever there has been a failure of some kind involving machinery or equipment that needs to be thoroughly investigated by forensic engineers.

Forensic engineering is the investigation of property damage and/or injuries from failures in materials, components, design, or structures. Failures can be minor incidents such as a crankshaft breaking to catastrophic events like a bridge collapse.