Our Expert Services
Transportation Forensics
Utilizing state-of-the-art technology and proven methodologies, our Transportation Forensics team provides a comprehensive approach to accident reconstruction, injury biomechanics, fire causation, product liability analysis, and materials testing. Rimkus clients can count on thorough examination and documentation, clear communication, and answers to complex questions.
Our Experts Include:
■ Accident Reconstructionists
■ Automotive Service Excellence Certified Mechanics
■ Automotive Specialists
■ Biomechanical Engineers
■ Chemical Engineers
■ Civil Engineers
■ Computer Animators
■ DOT Compliance Consultants
■ Electrical Engineers
■ Environmental Engineers
■ Fire Investigators
■ Human Factors Experts
■ Industrial Engineers
■ Materials Scientists
■ Mechanical Engineers
■ Metallurgists
■ Meteorologists
■ Toxicologists
■ Traffic Engineers
■ UAV/Drone Pilots
Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
Rimkus engineers, reconstruction specialists, and technical consultants offer significant expertise in all aspects of reconstruction analysis to accurately assess crucial evidence and reconstruct complex accidents.
On-Site Accident Investigations and Reconstruction Methods
Strategically located offices and experts across the country allow our team to respond quickly to accident scenes. Rapid response to the scene is vital, as vehicles may be moved and roadway evidence can disappear or be impacted by weather, further complicating the reconstruction process.
We document site conditions, examine vehicle damage characteristics, inspect mechanical/electrical systems, and preserve hard evidence. Our experts analyze the specifics, such as speed and direction of the vehicles, force of impact, skid-mark lengths, line-of-sight, road conditions, traffic controls, and other pertinent data to determine the facts of the case.
Utilizing science-based methodologies, we can assess a vehicle’s response to steering and braking, the effect of roadway conditions on motion, and the way trailer dynamics may contribute to a collision or loss of control.
Reconstruction Technology
Rimkus incorporates state-of-the-art technology in data collection and accident reconstruction analysis to further enhance our field investigations and ensure the accuracy of the findings.
3D Laser Scanning
The FARO Focus Laser Scanners provide a reliable method for obtaining 3D measurements and color images to document collision scenes, vehicles, roadways, and evidence. The scanner produces dense point clouds used in analyzing the cause of complex collisions.
Vehicle Accident Reconstruction Experience:
■ Autonomous Vehicles
■ Commercial Vehicle Collisions
■ Fatality Collisions
■ Motorcycle and Bicycle Collisions
■ Nighttime Collisions
■ Pedestrian-vehicle Collisions
■ Phantom Vehicle Accidents
■ Single and Multi-vehicle Collisions
■ Trailer Loss-of-control Accidents
■ Vehicle Rollover Accidents
Aerial Drone Inspections and Surveys
Our FAA-Certified pilots utilize a fleet of drones to deliver comprehensive inspections and risk assessment surveys involving vehicles accidents. Use of drones offers a safer, less intrusive way to map an accident site. Surveys can include high-definition photography, video, 3D photogrammetry, and site mapping.
Total Station Digital Site Mapping
Total Station provides a faster, more precise method of digitally mapping collision sites, downloading data to render the accident scene with pinpoint accuracy.
Vehicle Mapping
Vehicle mapping is a reconstruction tool for determining the crush damage of a vehicle. Using crush jigs, Total Station, photogrammetry, or a 3D scanner, Rimkus can precisely analyze the vehicle crush depth and calculate the change in speed and impact configuration of the vehicles.
Computer Simulation Modeling
Crush analysis and crash simulation programs allow our experts to analyze information such as vehicle crush damage, steering, braking, skid-marks, roll resistance, vehicle speeds, and roadway conditions. Based on these analyses, we can determine the pre-impact, impact, and post-impact speeds of the vehicles involved in the collision. 3D simulations are available for both collisions and rollovers.
Digital Forensics and Analytics
We provide digital forensics and e-discovery services, specializing in legal and corporate data extraction and analysis from any digital device. Our highly skilled team enables access to previously inaccessible data and captures insights into today’s complex, digital world.
Vehicle System Forensics and Data Retrieval
Rimkus experts download vital data from vehicle Event Data Recorders (EDR) to assist in analyzing speeds, pre-crash braking, accelerator use, driver seatbelt usage, and air bag deployment/nondeployment. With select manufacturers, we have the capability to download data from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
Utilizing the Berla iVe digital forensics tool, we can retrieve and analyze data from a passenger vehicle’s infotainment system. Available data may include telephone call logs, text message logs, social media feeds, vehicle location and navigation tracking, gear shift events, lamp on/off status, and door Digital Forensics and Analytics opening/closing to assist investigations of theft, fraud, and vehicle usage.
Reconstruction Technology Evaluations Expertise:
■ Accelerator Use
■ Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
■ Air Bag Deployment
■ Brake Usage
■ Change in Speed
■ Crush Damage
■ Digital Device Data Extraction/Analysis
■ Lamp On/Off Analysis
■ Restraint Systems
■ Roadway Conditions
■ Seatbelt Analysis
■ Steering Analysis
■ Skid-mark Analysis
■ Time of Impact
■ Traffic Light Sequencing
■ Vehicle Crush Depth
■ Vehicle Speeds
Injury Consistency Analysis
Rimkus biomechanical experts and biomedical engineers offer expertise in physics, accident reconstruction dynamics, biomechanics, anatomy, physiology, and human kinematics.
Using advancements in biomechanics research, our team can determine the causes of bodily injury and if the reported injuries are consistent with the forces experienced in an event. In cases involving disputes over who was driving, our experts can determine the driver of the vehicle, positions of the occupants, vehicle occupant seat belt use, and the type/extent of expected injuries associated with proper seat belt usage.
We perform evaluations that range from low to high-speed collisions to help our clients understand the facts about reported injuries and explain the mechanisms that caused them.
Biomechanical Analysis Expertise:
■ Accident Survivability
■ Blunt Force Trauma
■ Brain Injuries
■ Child Restraints
■ Driver/Occupant Positions
■ Injury Consistency
■ Pedestrian Accident Injuries
■ Rollovers
■ Seatbelt Usage
■ Soft-tissue Injuries and Fractures
Human Factors Evaluations
Rimkus Human Factors experts collaborate with our accident reconstructionists to evaluate complex issues involving human performance and contribution to roadway accident scenarios.
Evaluations may include issues such as driver gaze behavior, perception-response time, visibility and conspicuity, driver decision-making, fatigue, impairment, stress, inattention and distraction, inexperience, eyewitness memory, risk-taking behavior, response to posted warnings, and sounds.
Biomechanical Analysis Expertise:
■ Analysis of Driver □ Behavior □ Expectation □ Fatigue □ Gaze Behavior □ Performance
■ Attention and Distraction
■ Cell Phone Usage and Driving
■ Nighttime Driving
■ Object Visibility and Detection
■ Pedal Error
■ Perception-Response Time
■ Response to Auditory/Posted Warnings
Mechanical Failure Analysis and Product Liability Evaluations
Failure Analysis
Ideally, equipment and vehicles would always be properly designed, manufactured, operated, maintained, and unaltered by wear and tear. When failures occur, our specialized group of qualified engineers, metallurgists, and materials specialists can conduct product evaluations, testing, and equipment analysis.
Rimkus experts carefully design tests, analyze subtle relationships between design and use, and participate in laboratory analyses of products and equipment to determine if a failure contributed to damage or bodily injury.
Mechanical Failure Analysis and Product Liability Expertise:
■ Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
■ Air and Hydraulic Brake Systems
■ Airbag Systems
■ Cruise Control Systems
■ Frames and Structural Systems
■ Lighting and Electrical Systems
■ Seatbelts and Child Safety Seats
■ Steering Systems
■ Suspension Systems
■ Tire Failure Analysis
■ Vehicle Design
Vehicle Fire and Explosion Assessments
Origin and Cause Determination
Rimkus offers experienced fire consultants to investigate the origin and cause of fires and explosions involving passenger, commercial, or public transportation vehicles.
Trained and credentialed in fire sciences, our investigators have years of experience coordinating and conducting complex investigations. From on-site observations through laboratory analysis, we apply rigorous protocols and standards to ensure the reliability of our findings.
In cooperation with fire investigators, our electrical and mechanical engineers assist in the examination of vital evidence to determine whether a product or equipment failure contributed to the fire or explosion.
Vehicle Fire and Explosion Consulting Expertise:
■ Arson
■ ATVs and UTVs
■ Electrical Failures
■ Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
■ Fuel Depots
■ Gasoline Fueling Stations
■ Heavy Equipment □ Agricultural □ Construction □ Roadway Construction and Maintenance
■ Industrial Facilities
■ Marine Vessels
■ Mechanical Failures
■ Passenger and Commercial Vehicles
■ Tank Truck Ruptures
Chemical and Waste Transportation
In the event of a chemical spill from a tanker accident or the rupture of a fuel tank, Rimkus can respond immediately to evaluate the cause of the accident and subsequent cleanup activities. We can offer comprehensive analyses of catastrophic events using our multidisciplinary staff.
Our environmental staff is Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certified, as required by OSHA regulations, and qualified to enter catastrophe sites or spill areas containing hazardous and toxic materials. Rimkus can assess the environmental impact of pollution events and verify compliance with state and federal laws.
Upon entering a catastrophe area, our staff determines the extent of contamination and exposure to toxic and hazardous materials. We manage the site, work with regulators, trace complex migrations of toxic waste, and help develop strategies to control clean-up costs. Rimkus can also provide analysis on release responses to assess if the cleanup was done correctly and if the cost of the remediation was reasonable.
Industrial Hygiene Services Expertise:
■ Accident Reconstructionists
■ Chemical Engineers
■ Chemists
■ Environmental Engineers
■ Fire and Explosion Investigators
■ Geologists
■ Hydrogeologists
■ Industrial Hygienists
■ Toxicologists
Representative Engagements Include:
Heavy metals exposure where Rimkus was asked to develop and oversee physical and chemical exposure sampling plans for an e-waste scrap recycler, including review of a biological monitoring program.
Smoke damage assessment in which we investigated post-fire smoke damage to a residence and evaluated the need for additional remediation work to resolve residual smoke odors.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) assessment where our consultants conducted initial sampling and final clearance testing for contamination in an office building.
Chemical and Waste Transportation Capabilities and Expertise:
■ Accident Reconstruction
■ Clean-up Cost Assessments
■ Fuel Spill Evaluations
■ Groundwater Assessments
■ Hydrocarbon Product Tankers and Cargo Ships
■ Litigation Support
■ Oil and Gas Pipelines and Terminals
■ Pipeline Failure Analyses
■ Pollutant Migration Evaluations
■ Railroad Tank Cars
■ Release Cause and Timing
■ Remediation Oversight Management
■ Tanker Trucks
■ Toxicology and Health Exposure Analyses
Animation and Video Production
Demonstrative Exhibits
The Rimkus Visual Media and Technology group (VizTech) collaborates with our experts to produce clear and reliable demonstrative evidence for settlement negotiations, summary judgment hearings, expert witness testimony, and trial. Demonstrative exhibits are designed with clarity to help jurors comprehend the most complex issues.
We work directly with clients throughout each step of production. From the initial consultation to the final presentation, each phase of production is verified by the Rimkus expert to meet court admissibility requirements.
Our forensic video enhancement capabilities utilize state-of-the-art software. We can enhance all types of media, including surveillance footage, body cam, vehicle dash cam, cell phone and digital camera videos, and internet videos, in both analog and digital formats.
The VizTech group offers a wide array of visual communication services to enhance demonstrative exhibits. From computer-generated animations to full-length video productions, our designs accurately illustrate the facts.
Animation and Video Production Expertise:
■ Courtroom Exhibits
■ Digital Video and Editing
■ Forensic Animations
■ Graphic Arts and Posters
■ High-definition Drone/UAV Footage
■ Interactive Multi-media Presentations
■ Site Photography
■ Surveillance Video Enhancements
■ Vehicle Video Analyses
Roadway Construction and Department of Transportation (DOT) Compliance
Roadway Construction Assessment
Working in conjunction with our accident reconstruction specialists, Rimkus civil engineers, Professional Traffic Operation Engineers (PTOE), and roadway construction experts can investigate issues related to line of sight, construction zone signage, safety barriers, and traffic flow.
DOT Compliance and Driver Standard of Care
Rimkus offers complete analyses in all facets of DOT safety compliance, including hours of service, driver qualification files, load securement, maintenance, regulatory compliance, and industry practices.
Roadway Construction and DOT Compliance Expertise:
■ Driver Hiring and Training
■ Driver Standard of Care
■ Driver Qualification files
■ Hours of Service Evaluations
■ Load Securement
■ MUTCD Evaluations
■ Noise and Hearing Determinations
■ Personal Protective Equipment
■ Roadway Design Analysis
■ Traffic Control Plan Evaluations
