When things break, you need a mechanical engineer to figure out why.
I work on forensic engineering work, largely as an expert witness. An attorney in a court case will contact me when there is an accident or failure to have me come in as a third-party working for the truth.
I enjoy this kind of entree into a project. It means coming into a situation and evaluating what has happened in an accident or failure.
The court is relying on my background and experience within the depth of knowledge I have gained over the last 25+ years as a mechanical engineer.
Often the challenge is communicating my technical knowledge into common language that a jury can understand. That’s always a fun part of the job. I find it educating but also a challenge to work through what is common knowledge for engineers and making it discernable so a jury can take in information.
The most important part is to focus on the truth and use my engineering knowledge to be a resource for information to attorneys.
We are surrounded by fixtures, structures and mechanical moving parts. Sometimes, failures happen and that’s when it’s important to have neutral eyes on the situation to inform those that are investigating towards the truth.
In the end, the information I work on and investigate and report on helps the attorneys determine fault in the respective case.
Have you seen any cases where there has been failure and needs analysis?