Accident Reconstruction Experts Evaluate Fatal Crash

Case Overview

This case takes place in Florida and involves a young man who was killed in an auto accident by means of a vertebral fracture in the neck. The man was driving at the posted speed limit on a two-lane country road he traveled frequently when he was struck by the other driver, who had not stopped at a stop sign. The defendant driver claims that the sign was not visible at the time of the crash due to the presence of overgrown foliage. The plaintiff attorney required an expert in vehicle accident reconstruction with ACTAR certification to evaluate the fatal injuries suffered by the decedent driver in the case, reconstruct the scene using a popular image processing application such as Jvt, and extrapolate the status of several factors (variability in momentum, weight, speed, and seatbelt status as they existed at the time of the accident.

Questions to the Engineering expert and their responses

Are you familiar with biomechanics, kinesiology, and the scientific method that goes into determining the outcomes of collisions?

Without knowing the exact mechanics of the accident (speed, change in velocity, positions of occupants, etc.) it is not possibly to say much with regards to the mechanics of the case.

Can you discuss the factors that go into determining the biomechanics of collisions?

Methodologies exist for a vertebral fracture of the cranial vertebrae from large forces and accelerations (among other methods). These forces can be used to show that a fracture may occur in a high speed collision, or due to mechanics of an accident. Through my background in biomechanics I can analyze the forces experienced by the occupants and determine if the injuries are consistent with the forces.

Have you ever served a similar case in the past?

At my firm we have a collaborative team and I will work with one of our certified accident Reconstructionist to determine the forces experienced by the vehicle.

About the expert

This Biomechanical Engineering expert earned his Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the highly regarded University of California at Berkeley, where he conducted research in the Berekeley Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory and specialized in biomechanics, solid mechanics, and materials science. His expertise include injury causation and analysis of human environmental interactions. He has additional expertise in testing of automotive components and Anthropomorphic Test Devices (crash test dummies). This expert is a member if the American Society of Biomechanics, Society of Automotive Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has published over 15 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts in several of the leading international biomechanics journals and conferences. During his doctoral studies, he served as a peer-reviewed for several biomechanics journals and helped develop funding for the Orthopedic Biomechanics Lans, including grants from the National Institutes of Health. He has previously served as a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley and currently works with a private engineering firm.