ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION & RECONSTRUCTION ARTICLES MAIN PAGE

7/14/2009· Forensic Analysis

Analysis and Testing in Accident Reconstruction

By: Kristopher J. Seluga, PE

Persons with no training in engineering are generally unaware of the nature of engineering analysis, and so tend to assume that testing, as a means of determining the causation of accidents, is a dominant tool of the engineer. In the following examples, we shall undertake to explain the nature of engineering analysis, and to show that it is more basic than testing because testing without analysis is meaningless. Further, while analysis is always necessary in accident reconstruction, testing is only sometimes necessary.

5/25/2009· Human Factors

Application of Human Factors Engineering in Medical Product Design

By: Andrew Le Cocq

Advancements in medical instrumentation are often judged on technical factors such as increased accuracy or increased capabilities without regard to the operator, or to the degree of knowledge or training required to make the instrument perform all of the advanced functions for which it was designed. Because patient safety and efficient use of an instrument are ultimately determined by the operator, it is imperative that medical instruments be designed not only with capability and functionality in mind

2/14/2014· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Automated Retrieval System Failure Results in Catastrophic Fire at Storage Facility

By: Bill O'Donnell

The largest storage rack/ retrieval system, larger than two football fields and eighty feet wide was constructed to store 108 million pounds of paper products. On July, 2002, after two months of use, the facility collapsed and sparked a fire that destroyed the entire structure and 45 million pounds of paper. Nearly 50 fire departments responded to the inferno, which burned for three weeks. The owner of the facility sued a number of companies that included the contractor that designed and built the structure, a subcontractor, and the company that supplied the 110 foot steel columns.

7/14/2009· Forensic Analysis

Automobile Braking

By: Kristopher J. Seluga, PE

Accident reconstructionists are often called on to determine the distance that a car, covers while being braked to a stop. Conversely, the reconstructionist may be given information as to the length of the skidmarks left by a car on the roadway, and may be asked to determine how fast the car must have been going at the beginning of the skid. An expert can accomplish this with considerable accuracy, based on a knowledge of the physical principles that are involved, plus available information relating to the friction of tires on various types of road surfaces.

8/3/2009· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Bank Fraud Using Letters of Credit: An Expert’s Perspective

By: Robert Erwin Ross

It begins by Mr. Natal walking into TheBank and requesting to open an account for his company that’s just opened a new office in town. With his bank documents, he deposits funds for several million dollars.

3/4/2014· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Buses and Motorcoaches: Jayne Mansfield and Mythology

By: Ned Einstein

For those readers who remember Jayne Mansfield, or even know who she was, this is not a story about her Hollywood exploits or bedroom acrobatics. It is a story about a common type of accident - a rear-ender involving an automobile striking a truck or bus - often referred to, in accident reconstruction circles, as "the Jayne Mansfield syndrome."

9/6/2017· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Case Study: Retained by Plaintiff Injured Motorist

By: Richard Beaubien

A motorist exiting a rural freeway was struck by a motorist on the intersecting State Route at the top of the exit ramp. At the westbound exit ramp from the Interstate freeway the State Route a stop sign is posted at the end of the ramp requiring exiting traffic to stop before entering the State Route. However, the eastbound off ramp traffic is not required to stop before entering the State Route. A stop sign is posted on southbound State Route at the ramp terminal. This is an unusual traffic signing pattern for interstate off ramps. Expert observations of the operation of this intersection showed that a large proportion of the eastbound off ramp traffic slowed down at the end of the ramp, expecting to stop at the State Route.

8/7/2018· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Children Will Fall At Playgrounds. What Shall We Do To Protect Them? - Part I

By: Jeffery Warren and Aron Olson

In 2011, a 5-year old boy was severely injured at a public playground when he fell through a second floor opening around a fireman's pole in a playhouse. He fell more than seven feet and struck a bare concrete floor. We are thankful that he eventually recovered from his injuries. The person who designed and built the playground was accused of negligence. A lawsuit ensued, and eventually settled in favor of the boy.

10/24/2018· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Children Will Fall At Playgrounds. What Shall We Do To Protect Them? A Multipart Blog Series - Part III: An Overview of Selected Playground Safety Technologies

By: Jeffrey Warren and Aron Olson

Welcome to the third and final post in our multipart series of blog posts about a young boy's fall and serious injury at a public playground. In our first post we gave a brief overview of the incident and our investigation. In the second post we discussed some of the safety standards applicable to public playgrounds. In this post, we will examine some of the impact-absorbing playground surfaces available to protect children at playgrounds from injury. If you would like to read the first two posts, they are available here and here.

5/14/2009· Automotive - Vehicular

Deciphering the NHTSA Event Data Recorder Ruling

By: Shawn Gyorke

Vehicle Event Data Recorders (EDRs), commonly referred to as Black Boxes, are part of a vehicle’s airbag control module or powertrain control module. EDRs can be configured to record a variety of data when a vehicle is involved in a crash event. The data sets range from pre-impact speed and brake use, to airbag and restraint system