Forensic Engineering For Automobile Accident Reconstruction

Abstract

Passenger car accidents alone rank among the top five causes of death for the general population and in particular constitute the leading cause of death for the one to twenty-four year old age group. Personal and product liability analysis requires an interdisciplinary research between pathologists and forensic engineers through mathematical modeling and laboratory tests. Similarly, in accident reconstruction a forensic engineer teamed in a multidisciplinary practice with pathologists and attorneys can produce a vivid scenario of the accident using a limited input obtained through diverse sources of information. In this article, various simulation programs relevant to accident investigation are briefly discussed. Dynamics of a simplified two-car crash is heuristically presented and finally the role of the experience forensic engineer and his collaborative effort with pathologists and attorneys in reconstructing a disputed accident are emphasized.