Avoid The Pitfalls Of The Too-Obvious Defect

Abstract

The Forensic Engineer Must Often Determine How And Why An Accident Or Injury Occurred. Sometimes This Takes A Great Deal Of Effort When The Evidence Is Unclear Or Conflicting. Unraveling Such Mysteries Can Be Both Stimulating And Challenging. But There Are Times When The Cause Of The Accident Seems Immediately Obvious. All Elements Of The Accident Are Consistent With The Apparently Obvious Cause, And The Sequence Of Events Leading To The Accident Is Clear. It Seems Ideal. Everything Fits, Satisfying The Engineers Need For Order And Understanding. This Situation Poses A Potential Pitfall For The Forensic Engineer, In That Alternative Scenarios May Not Be Looked For, Considered Carefully Enough, Or Shown To Be Incorrect. If This Happens, The Engineer May Later Be Barred From Introducing Evidence Disproving Such Alternatives.