Automotive crashes are inevitable, but when does a defectiverepair or product contribute to the loss? When causation has beendetermined, when and how should the responsible party besubrogated? Attendees at the upcoming NASP session titled “AutoLiability – From Manufacturer to Mechanic” will learn the answersto these pressing questions and much more. Session speakers BradStolz, forensic specialist at Professional Investigative Engineers(PIE), and Alan Moore, accident reconstruction manager at U.S.Forensic, LLC will guide attendees through discerning betweencoincidental and causative issues.

Stolz, who specializes in engineering-based investigationsregarding automotive accidents, has an extensive background inautomotive and diesel mechanics and will therefore discussscenarios that indicate that fault may lie within sub-par workbeing done — at a service station, a mechanic shop, and so forth.Moore, drawing from his firsthand experience in the design andanalysis of production automobiles, SUVs, and race cars in areas oftire performance, vehicle dynamics and rollover resistance, willexplain the incidence of manufacturer defects.

Among the many topics examined will be sudden brake failures.“For instance, faulty brake repairs can be to blame in manyaccidents,” Stolz said. “They can often be traced to a mechanic whoperhaps selected and then erroneously used the wrong brakefluid.”

Another common scenario is that of tire failures, Stolz added.“Although there are rigorous standards for tire repair in place,there is little means to enforce them. The Rubber ManufacturersAssociation (RMA) sets voluntary guidelines, but many (small shopsespecially) may not adhere to them.”

The overarching concept of the presentation will bedistinguishing between coincidental issues versus causative issues.Even though an issue may have been present at the time of thecrash, that doesn't necessarily mean that it directly contributedto the crash. Both speakers caution against jumping to conclusions,emphasizing meticulous investigations and employing experts — whowill have the requisite tools and skills — to sift through thedata. Specifically, forensic investigators may extract data fromevent data recorders (EDRs), also known as automotive “blackboxes.” EDRs store information in respect to the severity of thecrash, as they can chart the speed, brake position, airbagdeployment status, and the velocity changes of an insured car atthe time of an accident.

A common pitfall is an eagerness to litigate, which may compoundmisperceptions.

“I know of numerous claims involving airbags,” Stolz said. “Theyallege that the air bags did not deploy when they were supposed to.Even though many believe they have a subrogation claim, the fact isthat it is extremely rare that these don't deploy when theyshould.”

Video clips and photographs will be utilized to demonstrateproduct defects and facilitate learning. The session is slated forthis coming Tuesday, November 4, at 2:00 p.m.