File 1997.03: Cunningham v. Nissan

Case Type: Automobile Roof Collapse / Spinal Injury

Description:
A vehicle collision case in which the roof collapsed directly over the driver's seat causing a spinal injury. At issue was the structural integrity of the entire roof rail spanning the top of the windshield among other components. Plaintiff's expert engineering analysis of potential reinforcement schemes that could have prevented failure were also a necessary component for courtroom visualizations.

Phase 1, Pre-Visualization and Measurement:
The manufacturers' CADD data was obtained for the vehicle model in question. Physical deformation points of the accident vehicle were sonically digitized as well and were accurately aligned and integrated with the CADD data.

Phase 2, Visualizations Produced:
A series of 3D animations was produced showing detailed structural elements of the roof, including the roof rails, pillars, joints and sheet metal. The animations illustrated the failure of the roof and also showed plaintiff's expert analysis concerning how the roof could have been structurally reinforced to avoid the failure.