Category: Articles, Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Construction, Premises Liability, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Working With Experts Accident Investigations – Hiring the Right Expert at the Right Time TASA ID: 16816 Investigating any accident is typically a complex endeavor in which there are numerous intrinsic processes and interrelated elements that have usually led to the accident. Therefore, it is important that the expert investigating the accident has the training and experience to deal with that specific type of accident relating to your case. Often, I see law firms reaching out for experts who have acronyms after their name (assumed to ensure credibility) but they do not possess the necessary background, experience or training related to the specific accident being investigated. Not all accidents are the same... construction, property or slip, trip and fall are all quite different. The investigator has to have the experience with that accident type to be able to identify and analyze the individual elements that were or were not in place. The investigator then must be able to piece the elements together to understand their relation to the “whole” of the accident to determine the root causes and liabilities associated with the accident. Read more
Category: Articles, Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Automotive/Trucking, Construction, Engineering, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Safety, Working With Experts 100% Defense Verdict in Forklift Case Reviewed by a Mechanical Engineering Expert Witness TASA ID: 7934 About 10:30 am on the morning of 26 October 2007, Jose Avalos was delivering slabs of granite to a local installer. The countertops were being loaned to the installer to be displayed at an open house barbeque for customers that was to take place later that day. Mr. Avalos brought two A frames and between four and eight slabs of granite on a 20' flatbed gooseneck trailer. Upon arrival, two of the installers employees proceeded to unload the truck. One of them drove a Hyster forklift that had a custom boom attached to the forks and had a gravity clamp (Abaco Lifter) that hung down from the end of the boom. The lifter was at the end of the boom. The setup is shown below: Read more
Category: Articles, Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Engineering, Maritime / Boating Accidents, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts Root Cause, Causal Factors, Proximate Causes or Contributing Causes TASA ID: 273 Causal analysis is a surprisingly complex process that over the years has been subject to push and pulls from a wide variety of professional influences. When determining the actual cause of an accident or an incident, any number of stake holders would like to address the issue that “caused” the accident, whether to prevent a reoccurrence or, on the other side of the remedial spectrum, to punish the causal party. Read more
Category: Articles, Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Aviation, Product Liability, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Safety, Transportation Airmanship in the Age of Automation TASA ID: 9740 On a cloudy morning, at a major US airport, a regional jet is cleared for the ILS approach. The ceiling is reported at 600 feet, with visibility around five statute miles. As the plane turns final, a 30-knot tailwind pushes it faster than expected to the final approach segment, with the crew racing to descend. Realizing the plane is still above glideslope, the first officer turns off the auto-pilot and dives to catch it. The rate of descent increases as the plane passes 2,000 feet. It's not an everyday approach, but the beginning of an accident report - one that will never be written. To read more, download the article below. Read more
Category: Articles, Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Automotive/Trucking, Resources for Attorneys An Overview of Vehicular Accident Reconstruction TASA ID: 1183 The ScienceVehicular accident reconstruction is a fascinating science. It is different from other engineering analyses in that an unplanned event, the collision, is the focus of the analysis. Things do not unfold in any planned sequence, and often evidence is missing or has many missing elements in it. So accident investigation often has a real cloak-and-dagger aspect to it. Read more
