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…
Driveshaft Failure
Car outer joint, driveshaft and control arm close-up. Inspecting a used front wheel drive vehicle by Ivan Radic is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Case Summary: The right front passenger…
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,…
