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Harlan-McGee Associates applies Civil, Mechanical and
Human Factors Engineering principles to accident reconstruction. We
examine the movement of the vehicles, performance of vehicle systems,
design of roadway elements, causes of injuries and their severity, reactions
of vehicle operators, and accident avoidance maneuvers to answer the
following questions:
- What were the causes of the accident?
- What was the cause of the injuries or the severity of the injuries?
- Who was driving?
- How could the accident been avoided?
INFORMATION USED
- The Police Accident Report which should show: the position of the
vehicles after coming to rest; the position of any vehicle parts;
tire and other marks on the roadway; the investigating officer's reconstruction
of the accident.
- Examination and/or photographs of the accident scene. In the best
of worlds we should be able to see the scene when the skid marks,
or at least some of the marks, left from the accident are still present.
- Examination and/or photographs of the accident site to determine
what the drivers might have seen as they approached (i.e. signage,
signals, road curvature, obstructions, delineation, etc.)
- Examination and/or photographs of the vehicles. Small marks can
show how the vehicle moved relative to whatever it struck. We will
be able to see if safety features in the vehicle worked properly and
determine whether headlamps, tail lamps, or turn signals were on the
time of impact.
- Description of injuries received by the vehicle occupants available
from autopsy report, coroner's report, or receiving hospital diagnosis.
- Statements of witnesses.
- Weather data; roadway operator data; vehicle data, etc.
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