High Velocity Automotive Collision

Rollovers

Rollover crashes may produce complex occupant motions, regardless of whether there are ejections. In those rollover events involving multiple occupants, interaction among occupants can affect motion and injury potential. Trajectory analysis of an ejected occupant may indicate the ejection point in the rollover sequence. BRC has experience analyzing rollover crashes and assessing related injury causation issues, such as ejection portals, restraint use, injury mechanisms, and potential effects of alternative designs. Exemplar/surrogate studies and spit demonstrations may assist the development or the presentation of opinions.

Airbags

In crashes involving airbag issues, BRC is often asked to analyze occupant seating positions, restraint use/non-use, occupant proximity to an airbag, and other related issues, to evaluate whether or how an injury was caused due to contact with a deployed airbag. There could also be a question related to injuries that may have been prevented or caused as a result of non-deployment. Static airbag deployments can be conducted and recorded with high speed digital video cameras to analyze an airbag deployment pattern and possible occupant interaction. The deployments are recorded at several thousand frames per second, resulting in the capability to perform a frame-by-frame analysis. This analysis is used to understand the interaction between the deploying airbag and an occupant.

Side Impacts

Side impacts may involve a “T-Bone” type impact configuration or many other variations. Depending on the point(s) of impact, it is not unusual for vehicle rotation to result from an initial impact, which can increase the complexity of occupant motion and an injury causation analysis. In side impacts involving multiple occupants, occupant-to-occupant interaction can affect motion and injury potential. When performing these analyses, BRC can also consider the potential role of restraint use and the potential effects of a supplemental restraint system (e.g., side or side curtain airbag). BRC has extensive experience in assessing near-side and far-side occupant injury mechanisms in impacts against fixed and moving structures.

Rear Impacts

High speed rear impacts can result in different types of injuries which may vary depending on occupant physical characteristics, restraint system type, usage, etc. In high speed rear impact crashes, there may be issues regarding the design of the seatback as it pertains to injury potential or injury causation. BRC is experienced in the analysis of occupant motion and injuries resulting from such crashes, including the evaluation of the potential for seat or vehicle design variations to affect outcome.

Frontal Impacts

In high speed frontal impact crashes, there may be a question of whether the injury potential would have been different in the presence of a deployed airbag or some other variation in restraint or vehicle design. BRC is experienced in analyzing frontal crashes with vehicles, poles, trees, and other fixed or moveable objects. Typical analyses assess restraint system use/non-use and the specific mechanisms of injury as well as the potential effects of a wide range of variations in vehicle or protection system design.

Consultants

Richard A. Allnutt, MD, MPH, MS

Karyn J. Ayres, MD, MPH

C.E. “Ted” Bain, BEng, MD

Robert D. Banks, BEng, MD

James V. Benedict, PhD, MD

Alfred P. Bowles II, MD

Joseph M. Cormier, PhD, PE

James R. Funk, PhD, PE

Richard M. Harding, BSc, MB BS, PhD

Whitman E. McConnell, MD, MPH

Thomas M. McNish, MD, MPH