Construction Accident Reconstruction, Second Edition PDF eBook

• Author: Jon R. Abele, Calvin Zemsky; Contributor: Robert E. Pershes
• ISBN 10: 0-913875-65-1
• ISBN 13: 978-0-913875-65-0
• Copyright Date Ed:  March 15, 2005
• Pages: 329 pages
• PDF eBook

Litigation relating to construction site accidents appear on the court dockets of every judicial district throughout the country. The number of lawsuits filed because of accidents has grown year after year. Until now there has been no single place for a person to obtain the information of what a forensic engineer does when reconstructing an accident. This book, now in its second edition, fills that void. It has been updated and expanded throughout by Jon Abele, Esq. It also allows attorneys to learn the basics of forensic engineering while providing guidance to accident reconstructionists on how to conduct an investigation into a construction worksite accident.

Construction Accident Reconstruction will introduce attorneys and engineers to the proper methods of investigating an accident case of this type. It is presented in a straightforward, yet lively manner that should inform and also challenge the reader to think about accident reconstruction in a new way so that they can better represent the workers injured on the construction site. This book presents the statistics of fatal and non-fatal accidents to acquaint the reader with the magnitude of the number of people who are seriously injured in the construction industry every year. Jobsite injuries are preventable, yet millions of workers suffer injuries when the proper preventative measures are not used. Failure to follow safety standards leads to lawsuits when workers are injured.

Topics include:

• What causes accidents in the construction industry?
• What identifiable factors influence construction accidents?
• Why is the third party involved?
• Is the accident really the third party’s fault?
• How to investigate a construction industry accident?
• Can construction accidents be prevented?
• The engineer's role in construction accident litigation
• Using demonstrative exhibits in the preparation for trial
• A guide to OSHA rules and regulations
• Reviews and commentary on dozens of cases
• Leading OSHA Construction Violations
• Human error
• Material failure
• Mechanical failure

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Investigative and Legal Procedures
Introduction
Attributes of an Expert
What Must Be Examined
Lack of Education Available
Mastery of the Technical Discipline
Discrediting an Expert
Case History
The Investigator Must Be Unbiased
Role of the Expert
Rules for the Expert
The "Hired Gun"
Perform Work for Both Sides
Requirements of an Expert

Chapter 2: Management Techniques for a Forensic
Engineering Office
Operational Procedures
New Case Form
Employee Time Records – Recording Billable Time
Telcon Form
Expenses
Contract Preparation
Report and Exhibit Production
Additional Exhibit Production
Presenting the Corporate Image
Evidence Storage
Evidence Recording
Company Policy

Chapter 3: Fatal Accidents
Fatal Accident Statistics
Fatality Data
Contact with Objects and Equipment
Falls
Summary
Appendix 3.1
Appendix 3.2
Technical Notes

Chapter 4: Non-Fatal Construction Accidents
Appendix 4.1

Chapter 5: Caught In or Between
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4
Case No. 5
Case No. 6

Chapter 6: Trench Accidents (Cave-ins)
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4

Chapter 7: Overhead Accidents
Case No. 1
Dropped Material From Above - Miami Seaport Bridge Pile Driver Case
Case No. 2
Case No. 3

Chapter 8: Crane Accidents
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4
Case No. 5

Chapter 9: Falls from Elevations
Case No. 1 - Improperly Installed Railings
Building Code Requirements
3.0 OSHA Regulations
Calculations
Nail and Spike Sizes
Withdrawal Load Design Values for Common Nails or Spikes
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4
Case No. 5
Case No. 6

Chapter 10: Electrical Accidents
OSHA Regulations
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4
Case No. 5
Case No. 6
Case No. 7

Chapter 11: Floor Collapses
Case No.1
Background
Analysis
Order
Case No. 2

Chapter 12: Tunnel Accidents and Explosions
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3

Chapter 13: Roofing Accidents and Roof Collapses
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4
Decision and Order
Case No. 5
Case No. 6
Case No. 7
Case No. 8
Case No. 9

Chapter 14: Leading OSHA Construction Violations
Standards Cited for SIC 1500; All sizes; Federal

Chapter 15: Engineering Firms and Contractors
Case No. 1
Case No. 2
Case No. 3
Case No. 4
Case No. 5
Case No. 6
Case No. 7

Chapter 16: Expert Witnesses
Initial Employment
Deposition Testimony
Trial Testimony
Appendix 16.1
Appendix 16.2

Chapter 17: The Engineer and the Law
Oral Agreements
Written Agreements
Theory of Liability