Forensic Overview

We understand that our clients make important decisions based upon our findings, which is why we are committed to providing scientifically sound and defensible opinions. We have the skills and experience to help you from the initial investigation to the production of demonstrative evidence. When your success requires talent that can bridge the divide between engineering physics and the medical sciences, we are at your service. With extensive testifying experience in several states and federal court, you can be confident that John Laughlin, M.Eng., P.E., our principal engineer, will provide you with reliable and professional service.

Incident Reconstruction

Our qualified forensic experts have experience reconstructing incidents involving motor vehicles, amusement park rides, buses, trains, industrial equipment, child play/restraint systems and violence. We use modern equipment to collect evidence and engineering principles to reconstruct the events. Typical analyses include timing, vehicle speeds, order of impacts and line of sight. We are thorough and will work hard to determine the facts of your case as best the evidence can describe. Additionally, we are skilled at creating 3D computer simulations for use as demonstrative evidence.

Injury Biomechanics

Injuries are often claimed to result from an incident and we can help determine the causation mechanism or the consistency of injury with the incident scenario. Armed with the principles of biomechanical engineering and anatomy, we understand the mechanical behavior of biological tissue and the ways in which a human body interacts with its environment. We are qualified to perform analyses involving occupant dynamics, vehicle restraint systems, bus/truck seats, and medical equipment. Our expertise in biomechanical engineering can help you bridge the divide between the physical evidence of an incident and the anatomical evidence provided by medical and autopsy reports. Additionally, we utilize 3D modeling based upon CT, MRI or PET scans as a powerful analytical tool or demonstrative aid.

Product Analysis

As a licensed professional mechanical engineer, Mr. Laughlin can help you determine the cause of a product failure and help identify defects associated with a product's design or labeling. As a licensed biomedical engineer, Mr. Laughlin can help determine the association, if any, of the injuries to the defect or failure mechanism. We have experience analyzing all sorts of products including, but not limited to: ladders, bus seats, footwear, physical therapy equipment and implantable medical devices. From simple to sophisticated technology, we can help you sort out the facts.

Slip and Fall Biomechanics

Slips, trips and falls are well understood phenomena, but the details of a specific falling event are often difficult to unravel. We use the science of human gait and locomotion to reconstruct these events and determine the causative factors. A typical analysis will take into consideration environmental factors, the actions of the individual and the claimed injuries. In modern society, many of these incidents are captured by video cameras. We specialize in deconstructing video evidence and performing frame-by-frame analyses to determine the consistency of the body's motions with known slip and fall biomechanics.

Human Factors Engineering

Humans interact with their environment in many complicated ways. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of human behavior is key to evaluating circumstances involving safety. Accounting for safety and human error has come to the forefront of modern design and human factors engineering has as many applications as humans have possibilities. Humans can serve as operators or passive users of a system and designing for their safety involves understanding the environment as much as it does understanding human interaction. Human factors engineering is used to reduce or eliminate the potential for harm to a user. In some circumstances, risk cannot be mitigated and the user must rely upon labeling to understand the safety limitations or usage requirements for a system. We can help determine if reasonable care has been taken to reduce human error and maximize safety and if proper warnings or labeling were utilized.

Medical Devices

Medical devices are deeply studied, highly regulated and manufactured with quality standards. Even with all of the safety precautions taken by the industry, sometimes devices fail. Sometimes a device may have been used inappropriately or installed improperly. Sometimes a patient may contribute to the device failure. Medical device cases can be complex and the technology involved very sophisticated. We have experience with neuroelectrical, cardiac, orthopedic, surgical, drug delivery and other patient monitoring and implantable technologies. We have the expertise to help you sort out the details and determine the contributions from the device, the clinician and the patient for your particular incident.