Forensic Engineering Analysis of Slips and Falls

Abstract

Litigation of slip and fall accidents is a risk if it goes to a jury. That is what the author often says to clients. When we started in forensic engineering we never intended to work in this field, but it is an area that involves our background in design, safety, and mechanical engineering. The problem for us as forensic engineers is to accurately explain the evidence, our technical analysis and our opinion relative to the accident-first to the client attorney or insurance company, and then to a jury. This paper primarily addresses the forensic engineers approach to the analysis of the evidence obtained in slip and fall accidents. The first step, which seems to be the most difficult, is obtaining adequate and proper evidence.