Biomechanics is the application of mechanics to the interaction of biological systems with their external environment. When investigating an accident, biomechanical analysis can be used to reconstruct a victim’s motion and relate it to his injuries. This can be applied in such diverse cases as determining the post-impact motion of occupants involved in an automobile accident [1], or calculating the impact force of an elevator door closing on a person’s knee. A biomechanical analysis may be accomplished with simplified stick figure models or complex 3D computer simulation techniques.
Biomechanical engineers often serve as expert witnesses, or create computer simulations [2] and accident reconstructions [3] for use in injury litigation.