D&S Investigations

What D&S Investigations does

D&S Investigations is a Simi Valley, California-based forensic firm specializing in traffic accident reconstruction, vehicle damage analysis, and biomechanical evaluation for litigation and insurance claims. Founded in 1998 by retired LAPD officers Lorne T. Starks and Mallie D. Donohoe, the firm has collectively investigated over 30,000 traffic collisions and provided expert opinions on more than 10,000 reconstructions. Its core service offering is Traffic Collision Reconstruction, which integrates file review, vehicle inspection, damage measurement and high-resolution photography, Crash Data Recorder (CDR) downloads, scene investigation, scale diagrams, speed and Delta-V calculations, biomechanical analysis, and collision animations prepared for court presentation.

The business operates as a project-based professional services firm on a quote-based pricing model ("fee schedule provided upon request"), with no publicly listed rates or digital self-serve channel. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: the firm engages insurance companies, law firms (defense and plaintiff), and individuals involved in traffic accidents, and provides no-cost training to insurance claim representatives and adjusters as a customer-acquisition lever. Distribution is entirely direct (phone/email) with no intermediaries or digital channels. The firm maintains offices across Southern California (Simi Valley, Murrieta, La Crescenta, San Dimas, Upland) and a satellite office in Little Elm, Texas.

Differentiators rest on practitioner credentials rather than technology: PI License #16464, E&O insurance, ACTAR accreditation, memberships in SATAI/SCFIA/CA2RS, and court-qualified expert status across Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County courts, plus courts outside California. The firm is private, has no disclosed funding, and operates with a 1–10 employee footprint.

Name

D&S Investigations

Legal name

D&S Investigations

Website

https://dsinvestigations.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

D&S Investigations is a Simi Valley, California forensic firm founded in 1998 by retired LAPD officers, providing traffic accident reconstruction, vehicle damage analysis, biomechanical evaluation, and expert witness testimony to insurance companies, law firms, and individuals across Southern California and select out-of-state courts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Traffic Accident Reconstruction Services

NAICS

Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services (56161)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Civil Investigations (Witness/Asset/Skip Tracing) (BPAKAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vehicle Inspection, Damage Survey & Claims Handling (Condition Reports) (TLAHACAE)

Keywords

• Traffic accident reconstruction
• Vehicle damage analysis
• Forensic crash investigation
• Biomechanical analysis services
• Expert witness testimony

Headquarters

HQ city

Simi Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Traffic Collision Reconstruction Services: Project-based professional services for traffic collision reconstruction including vehicle inspections, scene investigations, damage analysis, CDR downloads, biomechanical analysis, and expert witness testimony.
2. Training Services: Training provided to insurance company claim representatives, investigators, and adjusters on vehicle damage identification, fraud detection, and photography techniques. Training is provided at no cost to insurance companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

D&S Investigations provides traffic accident reconstruction, forensic vehicle damage analysis, scene investigation, biomechanical analysis, CDR data extraction, and collision animation services for insurance companies, law firms, and individuals involved in traffic collisions. The firm also delivers expert witness testimony in court and training to insurance claim representatives, investigators, and adjusters.

Product overview

D&S Investigations is a traffic accident investigation and reconstruction firm offering a unified suite of services. The core offerings include Traffic Collision Reconstruction (the primary service encompassing vehicle inspections, damage analysis, scene investigation, speed calculations, biomechanical analysis, and collision animations), along with dedicated Vehicle Inspections, Damage Analysis, Scene Investigation, CDR Downloads, Biomechanics, Medical File Review, Collision Animations, Litigation Support, and Training Services. All services are delivered by retired LAPD officers with expertise in court-qualified expert testimony across multiple California counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traffic Collision Reconstruction

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 traffic collisions investigated collectively by founders
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Southwestern Association of Technical Accident Investigators (SATAI)minorOthersProfessional industry affiliation organization for traffic accident investigators in the southwestern United States. D&S Investigations maintains membership in this technical accident investigation association.
• Southern California Fraud Investigators Association (SCFIA)minorOthersProfessional association for fraud investigators in Southern California. Membership provides networking and industry resources related to insurance fraud investigation.
• California Association of Accident Reconstructionist Specialists (CA2RS)minorOthersCalifornia-based professional association for accident reconstruction specialists. Membership indicates specialized expertise in traffic accident reconstruction.
• Accreditation Council of Traffic Accident Reconstructionists (ACTAR)minorOthersAccreditation body for traffic accident reconstruction professionals. ACTAR accreditation is a recognized credential in the accident reconstruction field, demonstrating professional competency standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Rimkus Consulting Group: Rimkus is a large multi-disciplinary forensic consulting firm with a dedicated accident reconstruction practice. Comparable because it offers vehicle collision reconstruction, biomechanics, and expert witness testimony at national scale — a much broader version of D&S's service stack.
• J.S. Held LLC: J.S. Held is a global consulting firm with a forensic accident reconstruction practice alongside many other service lines. It overlaps with D&S in vehicle collision reconstruction and expert witness work but at much broader scale and across additional disciplines.

Direct peers

• ARCCA (now part of Rimkus): ARCCA specialized in accident reconstruction, biomechanics, and forensic engineering with a strong expert witness practice. It is the closest large direct peer to D&S, offering nearly identical services across vehicle inspection, CDR analysis, and courtroom testimony.
• Kineticorp: Kineticorp specializes in traffic accident reconstruction, 3D animation, photogrammetry, and forensic visualization. It is a direct peer competing for the same expert witness and insurance case work, particularly on the visual evidence side D&S also services.
• DJS Associates: DJS Associates provides forensic engineering, accident reconstruction, and expert witness services across multiple disciplines. It directly competes with D&S for insurance and legal clients needing vehicle collision analysis and courtroom testimony.
• Vericom Computing: Vericom Computing produces accident reconstruction software and hardware (including CDR download tools) and offers reconstruction services. Comparable because it supports the same CDR-driven workflow D&S uses and serves the same insurance and legal ecosystem.
• Collision & Injury Dynamics, Inc. Collision & Injury Dynamics provides accident reconstruction and biomechanical analysis for plaintiff and defense attorneys. Its narrow focus on traffic crashes and injury mechanics is one of the closest comparables to D&S in scope and customer type.
• SEA Limited (Scientific Expert Analysis): SEA is a forensic engineering and accident reconstruction firm providing vehicle inspection, scene analysis, biomechanics, and expert testimony. Its service mix and customer segments (insurance, plaintiff/defense counsel) closely mirror D&S's model.
• Burgess Forensics: Burgess Forensics provides vehicle accident reconstruction, biomechanics, and expert witness services for plaintiff and defense cases. It is a closely comparable boutique peer operating in a similar niche with similar customer segments to D&S.
• Apex Engineering & Accident Reconstruction: Apex Engineering offers vehicle accident reconstruction, scene analysis, and expert testimony for insurance and legal clients. It competes with D&S in the same California-adjacent market for collision and biomechanical cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D&S Investigations