Motor Vehicle Accident Causes Plaintiff Severe Leg Injuries

This case involves an individual who suffered severe leg injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident. The plaintiff was in a head-on collision when a truck made a sharp left turn in front of her car. The front end of the vehicle was completely pushed into the cabin. It was unclear whether the plaintiff was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. A biomechanics expert was sought to review the records and opine on the injury causation.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please briefly describe your experience with injury causation in motor vehicle accidents.

2. Are you able to analyze the impact the seat belt (or lack thereof) might have had on these specific injuries?

Expert Witness Response E-060706

I received my master's degree and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from a prestigious research university and have conducted all of my research on the biomechanics of the lower extremities. I spent a year with the department of orthopedic surgery at a general hospital and worked as a consultant in accident reconstruction and biomechanical analysis for 8 years. For the past 15 years, I have worked as an independent consultant in accident reconstruction and biomechanical analysis. I have performed seat belt defense analyses and testified in court on many occasions. I am well-versed in analyzing lower extremity injuries. All of my master's and doctoral research involved analyzing forces and motions of the human hip, knee, and ankle joints. If, as seems to be implied in the case description, this accident resulted in a substantial intrusion of the lower extremity portion of the passenger compartment, then significant lower extremity injuries may result independent of seatbelt use.