In 1984, Jim Durden began his career with the Florida Highway Patrol, where he investigated countless traffic crashes. Rising to the rank of Lieutenant in Special Operations, Jim was a pioneer in implementing computerized crash reporting and crash diagrams.

After retiring in 2011, he founded Coastal Crash Consultants, continuing his education at the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM), and earning accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) as an Accredited Traffic Accident Reconstructionist.

Jim earned the Florida Department of Transportation's certification in Temporary Traffic Control (Maintenance of Traffic), expanding Coastal Crash Consultants' practice into work zone crash reconstruction and MOT plan review. The certification allows the firm to serve not only attorneys and insurance carriers, but also DOT contractors, municipalities, and engineering firms that need independent analysis of work zone compliance — a growing and high-stakes area of Florida transportation litigation.

With decades of experience, Jim has honed a deep expertise in traffic crash investigation and reconstruction. During his tenure with the Highway Patrol, he developed a sophisticated computer program to track crash data, helping to identify high-risk areas and optimize patrol strategies. Today, through Coastal Crash Consultants, Jim brings that same expertise — combined with EDR downloads, drone photogrammetry, terrestrial 3D laser scanning, and signal-controller analysis — to crash reconstruction work for attorneys, insurers, DOT contractors, and municipalities across Florida.