EXAMPLES OF CASES
IN WHICH EXPERTISE HAS BEEN PROVIDED |
| Year |
Retained By |
Description |
Deposed? |
Trial? |
| 2010 |
Plaintiff |
Negligence - Airline passenger fell while being assisted into wheelchair
at Philadelphia International Airport. |
Yes |
No - Case settled |
| 2010 |
Defendant |
Negligence - Elementary school student, who has Cerebral Palsy, was being
assisted from school cafeteria in his power wheelchair. Power wheelchair
veered into wall and broke the student's leg. The employee, who was assisting
the student, reported the chair moving in an uncontrolled manner, repeatedly
running into the wall. The School System brought the wheelchair manufacturer
and vendor into the suit. |
No - Case settled with vendor sharing liability |
| 2010 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Individual with disability was using PMV outdoors
on hilly terrain. Braking system appears to have failed, resulting in a
runaway condition. PMV ultimately tipped over, throwing rider to pavement.
Rider was killed in the event. |
Yes |
No - Case settled |
| 2010 |
Plaintiff |
Product Liability - Individual with a disability and severe musculoskeletal
deformities was provided a custom contoured seating system for his wheelchair.
The individual quickly developed multiple pressure sores from the poor fit
and inappropriate choice of system. |
Yes |
Yes - Judgement for plaintiff |
| 2009 |
Defendant |
Product Liability - Individual was being transported in wheelchair in
ambulette without wheelchair tiedowns and occupant restraints. Plaintiff
sued rehabilitation facility, which coordinated the prescription and delivery
of the wheelchair. |
Case is in discovery |
| 2008 |
Plaintiff |
Negligence - Individual with disability fell from wheelchair while transferring.
The wheelchair, which had recently been maintained by the vendor, had tires
and brakes that were worn and had brakes that were not properly adjusted
to prevent the wheels from rolling. |
Yes |
No - Case settled |
| 2007 |
Plaintiff |
Negligence - Paratransit driver tipped elderly woman out of wheelchair. |
No - Case settled |
| 2006 |
Consultant |
Retained by Progressive Insurance to investigate vehicle accident in which
hand controls for disabled driver became stuck. Investigation found that
the hand controls were incorrectly installed. |
|
|
| 2006 |
Defendant |
Retained by American Medical Devices Inc. to investigate claim that continuous
passive motion device failed injuring a patient. Investigation found that
the medical device performed without incident. |
No - Case settled |
| 2005 |
Defendant |
Negligence - Power Wheelchair Tip - Plaintiff claimed vendor provided
power wheelchair without antitip bars. Upon accessing the ramp to plaintiff's
home, plaintiff claims to have tipped rearward, suffering head injury. Retained
to assess the general safety of the wheelchair, the ramp, and the liklihood
of the chair tipping as decribed by eyewitness testimony |
Yes |
Yes - Judgement for the defendant |
| 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 |
| 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 did not challenge my findings) |
No |
| 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 - Judgement for plaintiff |
| 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 |
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 |
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 |
No |
| 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 |
