What Is a Biomechanical Engineer in a Personal Injury Case?
When someone is injured in a car accident, the damage to the vehicle often grabs the most attention. However, what happens to the human body during a collision is equally, if not more, important—especially in cases involving low-speed accidents or traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Understanding how forces affect the body requires specialized expertise, and that’s where a Biomechanical Engineer becomes essential.
Who Is a Biomechanical Engineer?
A Biomechanical Engineer is a professional trained in the mechanics of human movement and how forces impact the body. In personal injury cases, they study how the body moves during a crash, how energy is transferred from the vehicle to the occupants, and how different forces can cause injury. Their work combines principles from physics, engineering, anatomy, and biomechanics to provide a scientific understanding of injuries that are not always visible on the surface.
These experts are particularly relevant in cases with lower property damage, where a vehicle might show minimal impact but the occupants still suffer significant injuries. In these situations, insurance companies and defense attorneys often argue that the crash could not have caused the reported injuries. A biomechanical engineer can demonstrate, using physics and human anatomy, that even a seemingly minor collision can produce enough force to injure the neck, back, or brain.
How Biomechanical Engineers Help in TBI Cases
Traumatic brain injuries are often subtle and may not be immediately apparent. Biomechanical engineers analyze how the brain moves inside the skull during a collision, including the effects of acceleration, deceleration, and rotational forces. They can show that forces from a low-speed impact or even a minor fender-bender are sufficient to cause a TBI, even when vehicle damage appears minimal. This type of expert analysis is critical in helping juries, insurance adjusters, and courts understand the science behind the injury.
The Role in Low-Speed Collisions
Defense lawyers frequently rely on the visible property damage to argue that an accident could not have caused serious injuries. Biomechanical engineers counter these arguments by explaining the dynamics of how human bodies interact with vehicles during a crash. They can show, for example, how a person’s head, neck, and torso move in different directions during a collision, how seatbelts distribute force, and how even low-speed crashes can result in lasting injuries. Their analysis often helps establish a clear connection between the accident and the injuries sustained, which is especially important when the other side is attempting to downplay the severity of the crash.
