Category: Construction, Engineering, Personal Injury, Property Damage, Safety Electrical Equipment Failures Cause and Liability TASA ID: 419 Many insurance claims and lawsuits are the result of electrical system failures. The basis for such actions is frequently personal injury and/or property damage that can be caused by fire or other degradation of related systems, vehicles or structures. It will be shown that electrical systems can have high inherent reliability to minimize end-product field service costs, safety hazards and, of course, liability. Failures of electrical systems are most frequently due to external factors such as poor design, improper use, faulty manufacturing, substandard service, mishandling and other causes. System malfunctions are rarely caused by random component failures and a properly executed failure analysis will almost always identify an entity liable for resultant damages. Read more
Category: Automotive/Trucking, Construction, Engineering, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Resources for Experts, Safety, Transportation Preservation of Weld Fractures for Evidence Evaluation TASA ID: 1850 Sometimes when a weld fractures, it may result in personal injury, property damage or even a fatality. If litigation is the result of a weld fracture, it is important to retain and preserve the weld and the fractured weld surfaces for evaluation by the experts. Read more
Category: Automotive/Trucking, Engineering, Intellectual Property, Transportation Autonomous Vehicles TASA ID: 2246 Driverless vehicles, or as they are called autonomous vehicles, are a major topic of interest these days. A self-driving vehicle offers many advantages to the public, especially to the elderly and people with physical impairments who otherwise would not be able to drive. Then there is the issue that autonomous vehicles do not get drunk or become drowsy, and are not distracted by cell phones or children in the back seat. Thus they should, in principle, reduce the incidence of accidents and injuries to occupants. Another advantage suggested by the concept’s supporters is that by controlling speed and vehicle spacing patterns on highways, better overall fuel economy can be achieved and CO2 emissions reduced. Read more
Category: Architecture, Construction, Engineering Claims Involving the Built Environment: How Architects and Engineers Can Advise Attorneys TASA ID: 971 The built environment is full of hazards, costs and losses from which claims can arise. When an injury or loss occurs in an existing portion of the built environment or during construction, an architect or engineer can provide valuable insight in helping an attorney to sort out the issues associated with the physical conditions in the built environment. Read more
Category: Architecture, Construction, Engineering, Safety Forensic Engineering Investigation of a Long Span Wooden Truss Failure During Erection TASA ID: 1134 With about one third of the long span wood trusses in place for a 60' by 100' building being constructed as a convenience store, the trusses already erected fell over like dominos injuring three laborers. The three workers sued a number of parties involved in the project including the crane rental company and the manufacturer and supplier of the trusses, claiming that they shared responsibility for the accident and that they should have taken action to prevent the collapse. The author was retained as an expert witness for the crane rental company. Investigation and analysis of available facts established that the crane rental company was not responsible and should have had no liability. Read more
