Forensic engineering is the investigation and analysis of materials, products, components or structures that do not operate or function, including looking at human factors or catastrophic events. The aim of this area is to locate the cause of the failure, figuring out why and how it did not work. Cases taken on by forensic engineering are not always criminal, but can be civil cases too. In criminal cases, forensic engineering is used to analyse and explain why a system failed or how damage occurred in relation to a crime or an accident.

Methods used by the forensic engineer include reverse engineering, having a knowledge of current standards, viewing witness statements, and examining the failed component itself. This field of work can often involve the use of complex formulas for working out the likes of time, distance and speed.