Forensic Enginering Inc.


           



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Expert Engineering Investigations for the Legal and Insurance Industries

Motor Vehicle Collisions
Below are listed some of the types of vehicles, incidents, and contributing factors which we have dealt with in the past. It is by no means complete and we welcome inquiries on any type of incident involving any contributing factors of an engineering nature.

Incidents involving a variety of vehicle types, people, objects and animals:
  • Automobiles
  • Vans / Pickup Trucks
  • Bicycles
  • Motorcycles
  • Trucks / Tractor-Trailers
  • Recreational / Off-Road Vehicles
  • Farm Vehicles
  • Pedestrians
  • Deer / Moose / Livestock
  • etc.

A wide range of collision types:
  • Single Vehicle - Rollover
  • Vehicle - Fixed Object
  • Vehicle - Pedestrian
  • Vehicle - Vehicle
  • Vehicle - Animal
  • Head-On Collisions
  • Sideswipe Incidents
  • Low Speed Collisions
  • Multi-vehicle Incidents
  • etc.

Aspects of Incident Reconstruction and Contributing Factors:
  • Road Design and Maintenance - working for either plaintiff or defence we can give an opinion on whether the roadway was designed, maintained, or signed adequately. We can comment on whether roadway or roadside hazards contributed to the incident.
  • Line-of-Sight - we can assess the effect of line-of-sight obstructions on the actions of the involved parties. The obstruction may be buildings, parked vehicles, trees, a crest in the roadway, or another moving vehicle.
  • Collision Forces - there are a large number of injury claims made in relatively minor collisions. We can assess the forces involved in the collision and determine, with the help of a doctor specializing in accident trauma, whether they were sufficient to cause the claimed injuries.
  • Seat Belt Use - we can assess whether the occupants of a vehicle contributed to their own injuries by not wearing the available seat belts. We can assess whether the seat belt system failed in the course of a collision leaving the occupants unprotected.
  • Speed Determination - In many types of collisions we can determine the speeds at which the involved parties were travelling at the time of the collision.
  • Collision Avoidance - We can assess whether there were any actions a driver could have taken to avoid a collision or lessen its severity.
  • Occupant Kinematics - We can determine how an occupant would have moved within the vehicle during the collision. From this we can comment on injuries sustained and what portions of the interior of the vehicle the occupants may have struck.
  • Traffic Signal Sequencing - With assistance from the road authority we can consider the affects of traffic signal sequencing on the incident.
  • Time-Distance Relationships - We can tie all of the information together in a time-distance study. This will show where the vehicles were in relation to each other, line-of-sight obstructions, and traffic signal timing.
  • Lighting and Visibility - The natural and artificial lighting at an incident scene is often a factor in the collision. Visual clutter and uneven lighting can make it difficult for a driver to see and avoid another vehicle or a pedestrian.
  • Load Security - In truck incidents the manner in which the cargo is secured to the truck is often a factor. A shifting load may cause a loss of control or the load may come loose and strike another vehicle or a pedestrian.
  • Mechanical Failure - An incident may be caused by a mechanical deficiency or failure. We can assess whether the failure caused the incident or if the incident caused the failure. The failure may have been caused by improper maintenance or an inherant design problem.
  • etc.
1439 Legion Road
Burlington, ON L7S 1T6
Map to Office
Tel: (905)632-3040
Toll Free: 1-800-263-6351
Fax: (905)632-2131
E-Mail: forensic@forensiceng.ca

The Services We Offer

Our Areas of Expertise

Sign images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs, by Richard C. Moeur.