Vehicle
accidents: Example Cases
• Collision
with stationary vehicle on highway at night
Vehicle of thirty-year-old man, who was driving to work on highway at
night, collided with second vehicle in right-hand lane that had run
out of gas. The second driver had left the vehicle; the first driver
sustained substantial injuries.
It
was a clear night, with no other traffic. The lights of the stalled
car were on. The highway had been under construction. There was no illumination
from moon or highway lights. The second driver placed no flares or other
warnings.
The
plaintiff's attorney retained the human factors expert. After expert
read depositions, reviewed diagrams of highway and lighting placement
at the time of the incident, and interviewed the plaintiff, he provided
deposition testimony on night vision, visual illusions, lighting, human
information processing, visibility of obstacles and reaction time.
Case settled before trial.
• Collision
of suspended roller coaster passenger with customer on ground
Twenty-five-year-old theme park patron entered area beneath suspended
roller coaster to retrieve the hat his wife had dropped previously while
riding the roller coaster. While retrieving the hat, the roller coaster
passed overhead and the leg of one of the passengers struck him in the
head, killing him. The passenger sustained substantial injuries to her
leg.
The
gate surrounding the area beneath the roller coaster had not been locked.
The deceased patron neither spoke nor read English. Warning signs on
the fence were in English. The track for the roller coaster cars was
about 12 above the ground.
The
plaintiff's attorney retained the human factors expert. After the expert
read the ride operation and safety manuals, read depositions, reviewed
diagrams of the ride, and conducted a site inspection, he provided deposition
and trial testimony on human factors design issues, visual perception
and cognition, human information processing,
effective instructions and warnings,
and safety practices. Case settled during trial.
Contact:
HFE Consulting
Phone: (408) 234-6903
Email: info at hfeconsulting.com
