What is a biomechanical expert?

The biomechanical expert is often the most important expert in a crashworthiness or automotive defect case because the biomechanical expert brings together the science and medicine. The expert is responsible for analyzing the accident forces and how the body moves in relationship to those forces. The expert also demonstrates and offers opinions on injury causation and how the alleged defect may have contributed to or caused the alleged harm. This testimony is generally the link between the defect and the specific diagnosed injury.

Biomechamics is “the science concerned with the action of forces, internal and external on the living body.” (1) Biomechanical experts have the background and knowledge to review how the human body moves when certain forces are applied to them.

Crashworthiness and automotive defect claims are expert intensive claims. Often these cases require the coordination of an accident recontructionist, medical specialists, product defect, human factors, and biomechical experts. The biomechanical expert is responsible for analyzing the accident forces and how the body moved in relationship to those forces. The expert also demonstrates and offers an opinion on injury causation and how the alleged defect contributed to or caused the alleged harm. The expert is often able to demonstrate through accepted scientific principles that the defect enhanced the injury in the case. These experts are often well experienced engineers who are capable of performing an accident reconstruction prior to engaging in the biomechanical analysis.

Biomechanical experts are not usually qualified to provide a medical diagnosis. The foundational diagnosis must be made by a physician. However, the biomechanical engineer is qualified to offer specific opinions on injury causation–i.e., the accident forces and defect caused the medical condition. While this is a fine distinction, it should be closely followed.

1. Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (25th Ed. 1989)