Forensic Engineering – An Introduction
Sedan Rear Impact
For the past 23 years I have provided consulting services to corporations, insurance companies and attorneys with primary focus on vehicle technology and product liability with additional activites involving vehicle black box analysis and accident reconstruction. Along the way I have looked at all sorts of transportation related product failures and accidents with regard to issues such as product liability and been an expert witness in approximately 1,000 depositions and 100 trials. 20 years ago no one could spell Forensic and now it is on the TV.
Seat failure in rear impact
Getting into this line of work is not for everyone, even if you have the credentials. It involves a 24/7 type of dedication because if the phone rings then you need to be prepared to go. For a number of years I was on an immediate response relationship with a couple of large trucking companies; however, it was not uncommon to have your contacts call and request immediate response.
Side Impact Damage
On the other hand, the longest time between a collision and being requested to analyze it was 10 years. In this event a mid-year 1967 Corvette convertible had come out of the body shop and a few hours later it was wrecked. Key elements involved impact with a concrete utility pole breaking frame integrity of the Corvette which permitted the engine and transmission to continue down the sidewalk. As the road and sidewalk had not been rebuilt I was able to accurately measure the post impact skid distance because of gouges that corresponded to the police photos. Working with police photos and accident site measurements it was possible to determine impact speed. Pre impact vehicle road position and vehicle movement to impact could be shown on a map reflecting witness statements.
VIN on dashboard
One memorable event occurred in the same Washington, D.C. courtroom that was used for Oliver North in the Iran Contra hearings. A few months after that had gone into the history books I was there to testify about Vehicle Identification Numbers or VIN’s in a very high profile criminal case.
For background, it is easy for the bad guy to cosmetically re-plate the VIN numbers on the car and then launder the title through another state and then the car is ready to sell for a very discounted price with a title that DMV accepts. Spending some time with the Feds and inspecting their collection of fraudulent VIN materials is an absolutely exhilarating experience. These are great hard-working professionals in every sense of the word. Also, there are aspects of the job which can be very dangerous to your personal well being.
Ford VIN tag on driver's door
The Judge was remarkable, he specifically came back to the bench from retirement to handle this particular trial. I thought it was fantastic that he absolutely took-to-task attorneys for both sides because they would not appropriately identify items of evidence. Proper identificaiton is absolutely critical because if you do not do it clearly and properly, in deposition and trial, the attorney on the other side will probably try and use your own words against you. Clear communication means that you must know the appropriate terms and you must be able to logically explain yourself.
1985 Toyota VIN
The highlight of this trial was the Judge providing me a window of time, with everyone present, to look at a car. Was it the real car or the bogus car? Remember we are talking about major criminal activities involving VIN numbers. After concluding my time in the witness box I made it a point to thank the Judge for the opportunity to come into his courtroom and testify and that I was most impressed with his taking the attorneys to-task on identifying evidence!
In many ways Forensic Engineering & Sciences represent a very challenging profession that requires attention to detail and review of all available information to arrive at a realistic answer. Your objective is to come up with the truth based on available evidence. If you have the scientific and technological facts then you have the real answers. Whether or not everyone else likes the findings, well that depends on their position in the litigation. From the expert’s position, as long as you stick with the truth then you are not compromising your credibility.
A body shop working environment
A photograph of a very cluttered body shop is provided for your inspection.
This is a complex photo including a rollover vehicle (look at the windshield), multiple sectioned body parts, bumper fascias, and suspension parts. Sometimes in Forensic work you really have to look close to come up with the correct answer. I have not given you sufficient information to put the pieces together. However, there is a relationship between the body panel in the foreground and the side damage in the car shown above.
