Biomechanics is the application of mechanical engineering and physics to the human body to study the kinematics (movement and forces) and related injury mechanisms.
Our biomechanical experts have conducted investigations pertaining to the mechanism and causation of injury in the transportation, consumer product, industrial, construction, agricultural, marine, and recreational industries.
We have multiple state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and test equipment strategically located throughout the U.S. that allow us to evaluate and test anything from small scale to large scale environments.
Many of our projects involve analysis of the interaction of people with their environment and resulting injuries. Motor vehicle biomechanical investigations often include vehicle restraints, such as seat belts and airbags, rollovers, ejections, low-speed collisions, and child restraint systems (CRS). We have also conducted investigations related to worker’s compensation and product and premises liability, including slips, trips, and falls.
Our biomechanical experts routinely conduct specialized tests involving photographic and video analysis, simulations that include virtual crash testing with MADYMO, computer graphics, animations, national database searches that include NHTSA’s NASS, CIREN, and FARS databases, and literary research in the investigation and reconstruction of accidents.
The M.D.s and R.N. we have on staff allow for assistance with research and analysis of medical records beyond the expertise of biomechanical engineers.
We also frequently utilize volunteer testing and surrogate studies augmented with anthropomorphic test devices, including ATD or “crash test dummies," as the situations dictate.
Several of our personnel are involved in various industry standards committees and subcommittees, chairing some of those that most impact our industry. Our experts are also well published, and frequently present at various industry and trade organization functions.
ESi performs a biomechanical analysis and reenactment of an altercation between two men to help resolve conflicting accounts of how one of the men was killed.
An investigation of injury mechanisms of the neck, crash test dummy utilization and subsequent injury causation analysis, results in a favorable verdict for a gentleman paralyzed after a physical altercation outside a filling station.
When a top loader with its load in the fully elevated position tipped over, the operator claimed that he had sustained traumatic injuries.
ESi conducted a site inspection at a grocery store’s bottle return area to determine if the incident in question happened in the manner described.
An ESi investigation results in a quick settlement following testing and an engineering analysis of the biomechanics and human factors surrounding a slip and fall incident in a ballroom during a wedding reception.
Two vehicles collided at an intersection, causing one vehicle to flip onto its side. The front passenger was not wearing a seatbelt and sustained serious spinal cord injuries. ESi used HVE software to create simulations of the crash sequence, and imported the vehicle motion output into MADYMO to model both “belted” and “unbelted” occupant responses inside the vehicle.
ESi was retained by the manufacturer of personal fall protection equipment to perform a safety analysis and documented risk assessment of a newly designed detachable cable sleeve. This product provides fall protection for workers climbing fixed ladders in multiple industrial applications.
Utilizing the worker’s described scenario as the working hypothesis, data were collected to support or rule out this sequence. ESi’s investigation included a site inspection to evaluate the scene and measure the distances between the platform, ground, and rail.
Eyewitness testimony was inconsistent regarding the initial location. ESi needed to evaluate the physical evidence of the geometry of the staircase, the railings, and her final location to determine what fall scenarios could be consistent with the laws of physics.
ESi Principal Dennis Brickman presented important research on bunk bed entrapment hazards at the XXXVth Annual ISOES Conference in Munich, Germany.
ESi welcomes Torrence Welch, Ph.D., a new Sr. Managing Consultant in our Biomechanics and Safety practice. Dr. Welch is a highly qualified biomechanical engineer and will be based in our Atlanta, Georgia office.
ESi consultant Jon van Poppel, P.E. presented “A Parametric Study of Adaptive Load-Limiting Restraint System with Weight Sensing Considerations,” at the 26th Int'l Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles.
ESi's expertise spans dozens of industries and specializations organized across several practice groups, each staffed by dozens of in-house experts with the technical knowledge, hands-on expertise, and courtroom experience required to execute projects for and with our clients from start to finish.
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