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A coal hauling tractor-trailer
rolled over while negotiating a relatively benign turn,
initiating a severe multi-vehicle incident with loss of
life.
In the ensuing litigation, accident reconstructionists for other parties argued that
overloading of the trailer by the coal company, coupled
with excessive speed of the driver, were responsible for
the incident. MME was engaged to perform an
independent investigation on behalf of the coal company.
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Examination of the
wreckage identified a fatigue fracture to a primary
stiffening component of the trailer. Subsequent
engineering mechanics analysis, including structural
dynamics simulation of the trailer, confirmed that
fracture of the stiffener was the initiating event of
the accident sequence. The cause of the fatigue fracture
was traced to an improper field repair procedure on the
trailer undertaken by a previous owner. |
EXPERIENCE
