Expertise
- Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
Accurate vehicle accident reconstruction requires the application of established engineering and physics principles initially developed by the English philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727), originally published in his “Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathmatica” (the “Principia”). Analysis of all forces is dependent on Newton’s 3 “Principles of Motion.” The Accident Expert’s technical experts are formally trained in the application of these principles when analyzing vehicle accidents.
Our firm has handled minor and major vehicle accident reconstructions including those involving road design and maintenance issues, as well as crashes occurring on mountainous roads involving truck escape ramps. We have also provided Vehicle Accident Reconstruction services for the United States of America for both Plaintiff and Defense.
- Slips, Trips and Falls
Both voluntary and mandatory standards are used to determine violative elements regarding slips, trips and falls. Voluntary and mandatory standards are found in building codes and federal standards such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Roadway Design, Construction, and Maintenance
Suffice it to say, roadways have been in existence since the invention of the wheel. Furthermore, roadway design and construction has evolved throughout the centuries here, at present, we enjoy various categories of travelways from minor city streets to interstate highways of thousands of miles, I-90 from Seattle, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts being the longest at 3,20 miles.
The interstate highway system throughout the United States, was the result of the “Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956,” signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on June 29, 1956. Since that time, users of the various travelways have enjoyed the presumably safe design of highways and streets; however, over time, many have been poorly maintained or subjected to various hazardous conditions. In addition, Henry Ford’s Model T has evolved into complex vehicle designs, some not even requiring a driver!
Many changes have occurred not only in roadway design but also in vehicles where such improvements include safety features such as head rests, seat belts (i.e., lap and shoulder harnesses), shatter-resistant windshields, and sensor devices alerting drivers when a vehicle is approaching. Within the past few years, even “driver-less” cars and “hands-free” computer steering are available.
Speeds along highways have also increased whereas it is not uncommon for an interstate highway to post 75 mile per hour (MPH) speed limits with accepted tolerances given to drivers at speeds beyond the posted limits. Additionally, traffic volumes along State and Federal highways have greatly increased considerably beyond those of the 1960s.
Drivers have also been provided significant improvements with what may be referenced as “zones of freedom” which did not exist 50 years ago. For example, drivers are no longer limited to AM or FM radio broadcast stations which many years ago, would often result in intermittent service and periodic interruption of a driver’s concentration; however, today’s vehicles may include satellite radio which provides a seemingly unlimited supply of music (of various genres), sports, talk, religion, and politics. Video systems are also available for passengers while hands-free phone communication and visual directional aids have become the norm. Unfortunately, other elements such as drugs, prescription medicine and alcohol also enter the realm of a driver’s ability on the roadway.
While these technological improvements in vehicles and roadways are welcomed, vehicle accidents cannot be avoided. The design of roadways are essentially required to meet national guidelines (with some variances due to regional constraints); however, visual sight-distance standards are often violated, pedestrian conflicts arise, and regulatory signage is occasionally misapplied or absent. Our personnel has supervised roadway design, construction, and maintenance for local, state, governmental, and international clients since the 1970s.
- Motorcycle Accidents
The analysis of motorcycle crashes require a unique application of science and engineering principles in addition to practical experience when analyzing accidents involving these unique vehicles. As engineers experienced and licensed to operate motorcycles, we have the knowledge and experience to evaluate such incidents. Unlike their larger 4-wheeled counterparts, motorcycles offer little to no protection to its riders wherein at impact, the rider is often thrown from the “bike” as both rider and machine experience severe repercussions.
A typical collision between a motorcycle and automobile, occurs when the motorcycle is making a turn where oncoming traffic fails to see the smaller 2-wheeled vehicle. Since motorcycles have a considerably smaller profile, their exhaust system are often designed to be louder in an attempt to hopefully alert others of their presence. As a result, witnesses occasionally and erroneously describe the excessive speed of a motorcycle based on the loud exhaust system, and the possible result of a lack of experience with motorcycles or a biased aversion to their use.
Where automobiles typically depart from an initial crash site perhaps damaged but somewhat intact, a crashed and fallen motorcycle will often slide after various maneuvers such as yawing and rolling. Accordingly, critical evidence is often missing, making motorcycle crash investigation challenging. Our reconstruction techniques include a critical evaluation of the most detailed dynamics of motorcycle crashes.
- Premises Liability
It has been our experience that landowners may be responsible for injuries occurring on their property, especially when a dangerous or foreseen hazard is present. At the request of our attorney clients, a considerable amount of our technical effort is spent evaluating such hazardous conditions with respect to building code mandates, accessibility standards (for diabled persons), and general lack of adequate site maintenance. It is estimated, we have analyzed well over 1,000 sites for both Plaintiff and Defense Attorneys and property owners for purposes of assisting in premises liability litigation.
Examples of premises liability cases we have participated in as experts include swimming pool-related injuries (often resulting in significant disabilities or death), inadequate property maintenance and lack of maintenance records in commercial facilities, lack of adequate risk management protocols, elevator and escalator injuries, and a great deal of slip and fall/trip accidents, of which a considerable number result from slippery bathroom floors.
- Accessibility Design
Well known Federally-mandated accessibility design standards were formulated in the early 1990s with the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) although similar architectural standards preceded the ADA wherein our practice has included numerous evaluations of existing sites for accessibility conformance. We have also served as accessibility design experts for major clients such as Hermes of Paris, the Bellagio, a major Las Vegas hotel and casino, and significant locations.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published the Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines of March 6, 1991, the same year as the ADA design standards went into effect. Both the HUD and ADA standards were created in part from the requirements of ANSI A117.1-1986 American National Standard for Buildings and Facilities – Providing Accessibility and Usability for Physically Handicapped People, a standard still required within local building codes.
Essentially, the purpose of the various accessibility design standards is to prohibit the discrimination of disabled persons with regard to accessibility and the use of various facilities. Essentially, the referenced standards require access to, into, and throughout various non-residential facilities (with some exceptions for residences). The term “disabled persons” or “disability” includes various elements such as sight, speech, hearing, and mobility limitations, in addition to the plethora of other “impairments.”
In the course of our expertise, we have analyzed numerous accident sites with regard to accessibility requirements, often finding violations of critical local and federal standards of accessibility affecting those persons with a more significant “standard of care.”
- Code Compliance
Commercial, public, and residential sites are required to conform to mandartory design standards intended to ensure the safety of the public; however, while said mandates exist, many times construction fails to conform, resulting in significant injuries. We are often retained to analyze these undesireable features for purposes of litigation. The majority of the litigation cases for which we are retained, include analysis of code compliance.
Our professional experience regarding the application of various codes includes but is not limited to those of building design and construction, site design, flood control mandates, and those issues regarding the design, construction, and maintenance of streets and highways. When possible and as a matter of practice, we typically reference the applicable standards in support of our technical opinions.
- Animations