Summary: All incidents leading to personal injury are unique, but individual injuries can be categorized more generally. Specific injuries and their causative mechanisms have been studied experimentally for decades, leading to the creation of widely accepted biomechanical injury criteria. Forensic biomechanics explores the relationship between the dynamics of an incident and the diagnosed injuries purportedly sustained as a result. This presentation will outline the methods, limitations, and deliverables of forensic biomechanics through the lens of three case studies. Additionally, recent advances in 3D printing technologies have enabled high-accuracy models of actual patient injuries generated from your client’s MRI or CT data. This breakthrough makes possible the generation of cost-effective trial exhibits to promote a better understanding of a client’s injury – above or below the skin.
Takeaways:
What is the role of a biomechanics expert?
What is an injury mechanism?
What is an injury criterion?
What type of opinions can/cannot be offered by a forensic biomechanist?
Where is the line between biomechanics opinions and medical opinions?
What information is important to preserve and deliver to a biomechanics expert?
What is 3D printing and how can it strengthen your case?
What are the advantages of 3D printed shareable models over traditional 2D images?
