Hedge Trimmer Malfunction
Case Summary: Plaintiff set out to trim his hedges using a battery-operated hedge trimmer. As he removed the blade guard, the trimmer started running while his thumb was in the…
ADA Shower Seat Collapse
Case Summary: A hotel guest (Plaintiff) was taking a shower in a handicap accessible guest room. Plaintiff was sitting on the wall-mounted shower seat when it collapsed, causing him to…
Special Needs Child Transport Case Study
Case Summary: A seven-year-old boy, with special needs, was injured by a hard braking event in a van that was transporting him home from a school district program. The school…
Calibration Error or Communication Failure?
Case Summary: A worker, at an agricultural coop, was assisting the operator of a large agricultural spreader in order to configure the machine in preparation to spread a different product.…
Fight or Flight: Analysis of an Aircraft Jump Seat
Case Summary: A flight attendant was seated in a forward-facing crew jump seat (L2) in the rear cabin of a commercial aircraft during a flight. She reported that as the…
Ambulance Mount Failure:
Improper Installation Increases Patient Injury
Case Summary: An ambulance service and their driver were named in a lawsuit following a crash that injured the patient being transported. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which…
More Than Just a Broken Part: Analysis of Mechanical Failures
There are numerous reasons why a product part might fail during use. While witness statements can provide some insight into what occurred during an incident, a mechanical engineer’s analysis can…
Investigating Ladder Falls: Equipment Failure or User Error?
Falls from ladders result in approximately 15,000 injuries and about 400 to 500 deaths each year. While there are numerous factors that can contribute to a fall from a ladder,…
How to Secure Your Child’s Car Seat Using LATCH
If you are like many parents and caregivers today, you are using LATCH to install your child’s car seat in your vehicle. LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for…