EXAMPLES OF CASES
IN WHICH EXPERTISE HAS BEEN PROVIDED |
| Year |
Retained By |
Description |
Deposed? |
Trial? |
| 2007 |
Plaintiff |
Professional Liability - Paratransit driver was assisting plaintiff in
wheelchair down steps. Driver lost control of wheelchair, causing wheelchair
and plaintiff to fall down the steps. Retained to address biomechanics of
case, as well as attendant responsibilities. |
No (case settled) |
| 2006 |
Plaintiff |
Professional Liability - Paratransit driver did not secure wheelchair
or wheelchair-dependent passenger within van. Upon sudden stop, passenger
was thrown from wheelchair, injuring his pelvis. Retained to address the
biomechanics of the case, as well as the accepted standards pertaining to
wheelchair transportation safety. |
No (case settled) |
| 2006 |
Plaintiff |
Professional and Product Liability - Handicapped hand controls of van
stuck in full acceleration, causing driver to have serious accident and
injuries. Retained to perform engineering assessment of the hand control
system and throttle mechanism of the van. Determined hand controls were
improperly installed/adjusted. |
No (case settled) |
| 2006 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Plaintiff alleged electronics of motorized wheelchair
scooter malfunctioned, leading to uncontrolled movement of scooter, tip,
and resultant head injuries. Retained to identify potential root cause of
claim. |
No. Attorney opted to reject case, based upon my findings. |
| 2006 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Plantiff tipped over in power wheelchair while exiting
home on handicapped ramp. Investigation found significant architectural
barriers (2" high door threshold, non-ADA compliant ramp) which were
the primary contributors to this accident. |
No (case settled with wheelchair manufacturer absorbing minimal
loss) |
| 2006 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Plaintiff alleged that a continuous passive motion
machine (lumbar flexion/extension machine) failed catastrophically, resulting
in spinal injuries. Investigation found that the machine did not fail. |
No (case settled with defendant absorbing minimal loss) |
| 2006 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Plaintiff alleged that joystick of power wheelchair
was defectively designed, leading to erratic control of the wheelchair (and
subsequent injuries). Retained to assess the design of the joystick. |
No (attorney opted to discontinue the case, based upon my
analysis) |
| 2005 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Plaintiff was using power wheelchair that tipped forwards,
throwing plaintiff to the ground. Retained to assess the design and stability
of the wheelchair. |
No (case settled) |
| 2005 |
Plaintiff |
Professional Liability - Plaintiff in rehabilitation hospital was given
shower on shower/bath chair. Ultimately, plaintiff was impaled by a metal
bar located under the seat of the shower chair and died. Retained to assess
the root cause of the injury. |
Yes |
No (defendant admitted negligence) |
| 2005 |
Defendant |
Professional Liability - Plaintiff alleged defendant delivered power wheelchair
without anti-tip bars. Upon climbing handicapped ramp, plantiff alleged
to have tipped over, resulting in head injuries. Analysis found that ramp,
installed by plaintiff, did not meet building code. Additionally, engineering
testing determined that incident could not have occurred as described by
plaintiff. |
Yes |
Yes (judgement for the defense) |
| 2004 |
Plaintiff |
Professional Liability - Nursing home resident developed pressure sores
that ultimately led to his death. Retained to address cause/prevention of
pressure sores. |
No (case settled) |
| 2004 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Heated seat of automobile reached excessive temperatures,
causing 3rd degree burns to disabled passenger who has sensory limitations.
Assessment found seat interface temperatures exceed 180 degrees F, sufficient
to cause 3rd degree burns. |
No (plaintiff accepted significant settlement) |
| 2004 |
Defendant |
Professional Liability - Plaintiff alleged that defendants improperly
used a patient lift device, leading to injuries. Retained to assess root
cause of accident. |
No (case settled) |
| 2004 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability/Failure to Warn - Steam Burn - Plaintiff with diabetes
was seriously burned while using a steam shower in a hotel, resulting in
below knee amputation. Manufacturer of the steam shower equipment had prior
knowledge of burns associated with the use of their equipment. Retained
to address thermodynamic, as well as physiological aspects of the case.
|
Yes |
No (case settled) |
| 2004 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Plaintiff alleged that power wheelchair was defective
because it climbed the retension barrier of a handicapped van lift. Analysis
found that poorly-designed (and standard non-compliant) retension barrier
was the root cause in this case. |
No (case settled with minimal loss to wheelchair manufacturer) |
| 2003 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability/Negligence - Collapse of Adult Walker - Plaintiff received
walker from vendor. However, vendor combined legs of walker from one manufacturer
with frame of walker from another manufacturer. The components were incompatible,
resulting in the collapse of the walker, and a femoral fracture suffered
by the plaintiff. |
No (defendant admitted liability)
|
| 2003 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Wheelchair related death in which plaintiff was choked
by anterior chest harness. Retained by wheelchair manufacturer to determine
root cause of death. Found cause of death was due to custom design, manufacture,
and fitting of seating system, not wheelchair |
No (case settled, with wheelchair mfr.taking minimal loss) |
| 2003 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Plaintiff alleged defective design of hospital bed,
leading to development of pressure sore by plaintiff. Retained to assess
industry standards related to design, manufacture, selection, and use of
high-tech hospital beds. Found bed was not defective |
Yes |
No (case settled with minimal loss to defendant) |
| 2003 |
Defendant |
Professional/Product Liability - Plaintiff alleged that walker was defective,
leading to fall and injuries. Retained to assess design, fit, and condition
of walker. Determined that walker was provided in accordance with industry
standards and that it was significantly altered after its delivery by persons
other than the defendant |
No (case settled with minimal loss to defendant) |
| 2003 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Wheelchair Lift Malfunction - Plaintiff was injured
when the wheelchair lift in his van malfunctioned, resulting in the plaintiff
rolling off and falling 2 feet to the ground. Retained to determine how
and why the lift malfunctioned, and to offer opinions regarding accepted
design and safety engineering practices that should have been incorporated
to prevent a user from rolling off the lift even when it malfunctions. |
Yes |
Yes (verdict for the plaintiff)
|
| 2002 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Design of Exercise Equipment - Plaintiff was using
exercise equipment when it failed catastrophically, resulting in permanent
injuries to the plaintiff. Retained to perform failure analysis of the equipment,
assess the overall design of the equipment, suggest design and safety features
that could have been reasonably incorporated to prevent the injury from
occurring, and to address the defendants' failure to warn the plaintiff.
|
No |
No |
| 2002 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Wheelchair Related Death - Young woman choked to death
when the cord to her chin-controlled wheelchair entangled on a doorknob,
forcing the chin control device into her throat. Performed engineering and
structural analyses of the wheelchair system and its components to determine
the multiple modes of failure. Addressed alternative designs that could
have been reasonably incorporated to prevent this death. |
Yes |
No |
| 2002 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Burn from Wheelchair Electronics - User of wheelchair
claimed to have been burned when his leg rested against the joystick. Retained
to analyze heat generation and dissipation within the joystick, assess whether
the heat generated was sufficient to cause the burns, and to assess whether
the manufacturer was liable for its design and warnings. |
No (advised defendant that heat was sufficient to cause burns;
case settled) |
| 1996 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Wheelchair Cushion and Pressure Sore - Plaintiff claimed
cushion was defective and manufacturer failed to warn, resulting in plaintiff
developing a serious pressure sore. Retained to determine the most likely
cause(s) of the pressure sore, to assess the design and performance of the
cushion, and to address the manufacturer's warnings. |
Yes |
No |
| 1985 |
Defendant |
Reasonable Accommodation - Employee with Disability - Employee claimed
employer, the U.S. Department of Education, failed to provide reasonable
accommodations for employment. Performed ergonomic evaluation, determining
that accommodations had been reasonably made. Ruling in favor of defendant. |
No |
Yes
(verdict for the defendant) |
