Our electrical engineers have experience investigating many kinds of electrical accidents. We have experience consulting and serving as expert witnesses for both plaintiffs and defendants in a number of cases.
Common accidents that a forensic electrical engineer would investigate include product failures, electrical shocks, electrical fires, and electrical burns.
Electric shocks can occur due to improperly designed, manufactured, or maintained equipment and appliances. When electric shocks cause damage to humans or even result in death (defined as an electrocution), then improper control or isolation of the associated electric power must be investigated. Shocks are typically caused by faulty ground connections, inadequate insulation, or improper circuit design. Establishing the causes of shocks and their effect is key to establishing liability in these cases.
Electrical fires are caused by hear being released as electricity is dissipated through a resistive element, while the fuel to support combustion may come from the surroundings or from the material that makes up the appliance. When analyzing an electrical fire, it is important to find the origin of the fire as well as the safety precautions that could have prevented the fire. Common causes of electrical fires and explosions include insufficient insulation and improper grounding.
Electric burns are a common result of the use of heat massage or electrical stimulation, and can be caused by other defective or mis-used electrical appliances. A common cause of such a burn involves the use of a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator). Our electrical engineering experts also have experience with contact burns originating from electric current, even if the current levels are below those that would cause shock or electrocution. We are also proficient in non-contact burns that involve “action-at-a-distance”, aka indirect or non-contact electric burns.
Our electrical engineering experts can investigate your case to determine the cause of an electrical accident and determine what could have been done to prevent it. We have years of experience assisting attorneys for both plaintiffs and defendants by serving as engineering expert witnesses numerous cases involving electrical accident investigation.
Our engineers have been assisting attorneys and insurance representatives in investigating accidents since 1990. We have a highly qualified staff of engineers with advanced degrees from top-tier universities who have provided testimony on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants at trial
