Articles

A large segment of the truck driving population is composed of drivers who work locally and are home most nights. In this article, Commercial Trucking Expert Michael O’Dell explores the unique challenges that LTL delivery drivers regularly face.

LTL truck companies often employ drivers with diverse experiences and abilities, including over-the-road drivers, regional drivers, shuttle drivers, and local drivers. LTL, (Less than Truckload) drivers make multiple small deliveries and freight pickups within a local area. Because of the multi-stop nature of their deliveries, these drivers (especially if untrained or inexperienced) are at risk for vehicle accidents: injuries from unloading/loading and moving product from truck to truck; slips, trips, or falls in the ordinary course of work; and being struck by equipment while working in various shipping and receiving locations.

Bars, taverns, nightclubs, and restaurants have a responsibility to implement reasonable measures to provide a safe environment for guests and employees. A central task in many of our cases is to determine what constitutes reasonable security. This article explores that topic by evaluating a specific scenario involving a fight that starts inside a bar.

The failure of a product or system to turn on/off or respond to input can lead to a broad range of injuries or property damage. Whether it be a seemingly innocuous device like a coffeepot, or a heavy duty industrial cooling system, the root cause of a failure can often be traced to electrical controls.

So what are electrical controls, and how do they potentially factor into your casework?

This webinar simplifies the topic of electrical controls, starting with the basics and building up to examples of actual incidents caused by control failures. Experts from our electrical engineering group provide insight on evaluating these cases and guidance on discovery questions to ensure that adequate information is available for proper forensic analysis.

This webinar explores some commonly misunderstood aspects of drownings that occur at facilities with lifeguards on duty.

When a drowning occurs at a guarded pool, the immediate reaction is often to point blame at the lifeguards, but recent science demonstrates that this is not always appropriate. The leader of our Aquatics practice, Maria Bella, has investigated hundreds of drowning incidents across the country, from private pools to hotels, resorts, schools, and institutions large and small. Here she explains the scientific factors that may prevent an attentive guard from seeing or recognizing a swimmer in distress. She also describes the preventive steps that facilities can take to eliminate dangerous lifeguard blind spots.

Psychologist Dr. Staci Weiner closes the presentation with a discussion on the psychological impact of drownings. Her discussion includes the short and long term effects for those closest to the victim, as well as the potential implications for the lifeguards on duty.

Many of our equine expert witness investigations involve incidents where a rider has been thrown from a horse and sustained injuries. We are tasked with determining the cause of the horse’s behavior, which is likely related to weather and environmental conditions, training, rider behavior, the use of tack and equipment, or other factors that are known to trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response in the horse.

In this article, Dr. Tim Potter explains the standard of care for equestrian facilities and horseback riding lessons, using examples from his forensic casework.

Adequate illumination is often a topic in premises liability claims. In this article, Architect & Premises Safety Expert Doug Peden discusses the standard of care for artificial illumination and the role that it has in maintaining a safe environment.

Wheels that separate from a moving vehicle create two potentially deadly hazards; the first is a disabled vehicle with diminished braking ability and directional control/stability, the second is an uncontrolled wheel that is capable of striking people or objects that are a significant distance from the spot of origin. In this article, we discuss the common causes for wheel separation and the industry best practices for vehicle maintenance procedures.

Treadmill entrapment injuries have been long-known and continue to make headlines today. These incidents can be prevented by the implementation of a relatively simple fixed barrier guard, which has also been long-known.

In this article, Industrial Engineer Harry Ehrlich discusses the inrunning nip point hazard that exists between the moving belt of the treadmill and the floor or other stationary object, and the manufacturer’s responsibility to protect people from that hazard.

This webinar video explores aviation safety by following the passenger’s journey from pre-flight through take-off, landing, and deplaning. Experts from our Aviation practice explain the critical safety steps involved in ground operations, cabin safety, and boarding/deplaning. The presentation focuses on the causative factors that contribute to the passenger and crew injuries most common to our casework.

The crash reconstruction experts at Robson Forensic are frequently asked if it’s possible to perform a meaningful crash investigation without having the damaged vehicles available for inspection. In some instances, we can. In this article, we describe how photographs can be used to determine scientifically valid vehicle crush measurements.

This webinar video reviews the capabilities and limitations of key forensic technologies used to document and analyze crash sites and vehicle damage in motor vehicle cases. Experts from our Crash Reconstruction practice present alongside our Forensic Technology group to offer attorneys and insurance professionals a conceptual framework for addressing the challenges in their own cases.

Accurately estimating construction costs requires a thorough understanding of project specific criteria, including the scope of work, project plans, applicable specifications, scheduling, project phasing, site-specific restraints, and construction methods. Based on the complexity of the process and the value of construction projects, these estimates are frequently disputed.

In this article, Civil Engineer Michael Tuttman discusses the key criteria considered when forensically investigating a construction cost dispute.

Forensic analysis of CCTV video evidence is potentially broader than scrutinizing the visible elements in a recording. System analysis can often be used to identify other relevant video files, potential evidence, or indications of spoliation.

In this article, premises security expert John Hassard discusses video surveillance systems, considerations for analyzing video evidence, and methods for determining if other relevant data may exist.

Land development can be described as a process of altering land uses and/or physical conditions of real property. Site Construction, also commonly referred to as “Civil” or “Heavy” Construction requires a developer to navigate a complex landscape of planning, entitlements and approvals, design development, and permitting processes. Missteps along this process can result in damage, injuries, adverse environmental impacts, and/or significant financial losses and exposure.

This article highlights some issues, challenges, and hazards that are typical of Site/Civil/Heavy Construction work and common to our forensic investigations.

“Think like a raindrop” is an old adage used by designers and builders of low rise residential buildings – think single family homes, townhouses, and two and three story apartment buildings. It’s also applicable to commercial buildings of the same height and light weight construction, i.e. motels and small office buildings. The concept refers to designing and constructing building exteriors that will reliably shed water and keep the underlying structure and building interiors dry.

In this article, Architect & Construction Expert, Thomas Pienciak, AIA gives a primer on water intrusion construction defect claims by walking through the means and methods of building construction.

Addressing the standard of care in premises liability and property management disputes involving snow and ice can be complex. In these cases, issues of causation and notice can be complicated by site drainage, unnatural snow accumulation, and the variety of services and surface treatment options available to property managers.

In this webinar video, premises safety expert Sylvia Deye and Property Management expert Albert Kerelis discuss the most prominent technical challenges in snow and ice investigations. Attendees will learn about site issues that can contribute to snow/ice related injuries, the standard of care for property owners and managers, and some of the relevant safety standards.

The titles of Captain, Master, or Skipper are used to demarcate the person in charge aboard commercial or recreational vessels. These titles carry a responsibility to ensure for the safety of those aboard his or her vessel and the safety of other vessels operating in the region by acting in accordance with a set of minimum standards of care.

In this webinar video, Captain Kyle McAvoy (USCG Retired) will explore the standard of care for Captains, Masters, and Skippers within the context of boating mishaps and commercial claims. Attendees will gain insights to the governing standards as they apply to professional mariners and recreational boat operators and develop a framework for evaluating their actions during times of duress.

Conflicting testimony in bicycle vs. vehicle collisions can often be resolved through a biomechanical analysis of the injuries. In this article, Mechanical Engineer & Biomechanics Expert, Dr. Carolyne Albert describes how engineering and physics can be used to scientifically answer questions about the mechanics of bicycle collision incidents and injuries.