Forensic Computer Experts Comment on Unintended Airbag Deployment

Case Overview

This case involves the death of a driver in South Dakota as a result of an airbag malfunction. The air bag is suspected of prematurely deploying, sending metal debris into the driver’s face and causing driver to go off road for 300+ feet before hitting a fallen tree limb and flipping over. The manufacturer has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the airbag was defective. Plaintiff’s counsel is seeking an objective expert well versed in airbag function, digital forensics, and on-board computer systems that could help determine the factors contributing to the crash.

Questions to the Accident Reconstruction expert and their responses

Are you capable of accessing the car’s onboard data? If the necessary specialized equipment were provided to you, would you be able to use it?

The year make and model of the subject car will prevent anyone except for the manufacturer from downloading and interpreting the EDR.

Describe any experience you have as an expert witness. Have you worked on cases involving airbag malfunction in the past?

I have experience with this type of failure, as well as with electric downloads and other product related recall investigations.

Have you lectured or been published on this subject?

The airbag failure with this subject car seems to be related to a particular airbag company’s recalls. The Federal Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) is very interested in any fatality caused by the fracturing of the housing throughout the United States.

About the expert

This traffic accident reconstruction specialist has conducted 1800+ full-scale collision investigations and component defect evaluations. He is a certified court expert with over 27 years experience in collision reconstruction, defect investigations, biomechanical analysis, and injury causation studies. He earned his Bachelor's degree in safety science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has published on accident reconstruction.