Services Offered
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Summary
Gorski Consulting is a forensic motor vehicle accident reconstruction firm offering expert analysis and opinion to the legal, insurance, and private plaintiff/defendant communities for the resolution of civil and criminal litigation issues.
Since 1980, Zygmunt Gorski, the principal of the firm, has worked
in the safety research and accident reconstruction fields. He
has provided reconstruction analysis and expert opinions and
testimonies for hundreds of vehicle accidents.
Examinations
If possible, call us immediately after an accident occurs so
we can attend the crash site and document evidence before it
is altered and destroyed. We can also provide examinations after
vehicles are moved to a holding compound.
During examinations, we use still and video cameras to document evidence and measure the site to create a scale diagram. Any evidence found is secured for analysis. At the holding compound, vehicles are photographed and the location of collision evidence is measured along with the profile and magnitude of crush. The status and functioning of safety devices are documented – the Crash Data Retrieval toolkit is used to download crash data from air bag control modules.
Analysis
If
required, we re-attend the collision site or vehicle for additional
observations and analysis.
At a collision site we may set up a roadway grid to document
the speed, position, and specific behaviours of drivers –
captured by video camera mounted to a 20-foot pole. The output
displayed from a radar gun is videotaped to assess the likely
speed of typical vehicles, which is used as a reference toward
estimating the actions of an accident-involved driver.
We re-create night time accident scenarios using similar vehicles
and lighting conditions. Police assistance may be used to close
a road segment or natural reactions are obtained without a driver’s
awareness of the testing.
Detailed analysis of a vehicle is conducted using:
Performance testing of similar vehicles- Dynamic braking and steering tests
- Instruments to document steering wheel rotation and body response to lateral acceleration for curve analysis
- Graphical analysis computer programs (AutoCAD)
- Specialized accident reconstruction and simulation programs (SMAC and CRASH) to study the effects of steering, braking, speed, rotation, and mass for change assessments during collision consequences
- Reference manuals, Internet, and specialists (automotive technicians, materials’ engineers)
- Crash data downloaded from air bag modules (SDMs and RCMs)
- Vehicle speeds to estimate delays in perception and response
- The functions of safety devices including air bags, child seats, seat belts, braking, and steering components
- Design and maintenance of roadway systems
- Evidence in photographs, measurements, and statements
Occupant injuries are assessed using NASS data files, which include:
- The measured crush profile and location of a vehicle’s direct damage
- Photographs of the collision site and vehicles
- Detailed photographs of vehicle interiors, showing locations of occupant contacts and impact damage
- Occupant data including age, sex, height, weight, seat-belt use, air bag involvement
- Specific injury data on injured occupants including medical records
- Details of collision severity calculations (Delta-V) and reports from downloads of event data recorders (“black box” downloads)
Expert Reports
Written
reports detail the process of our investigations and report
our analysis. We provide fact-based conclusions and critique
reports from industry experts.
Trials & Testimony
As accident issues are debated, we provide expert opinion and analysis based on fact and objective scientific testing. When necessary, we attend trials as expert witnesses to provide valuable information to the tiers of fact (judges and juries) in reaching their verdicts.
Instruction & Education
We offer our services as instructors and educators in the fields of motor vehicle safety research and accident reconstruction. We provide oral presentations and courses to new drivers, insurance adjusters, investigators, and police officers.