Biomechanics & Biodynamics
Biomechanics & Biodynamics Expertise
JEA specializes in the application of physics and engineering mechanics principles to analyze the human body’s response to forces and conditions encountered during accidents. Leveraging decades of extensive experience in accident reconstruction, vehicle dynamics, occupant kinematics, and biomechanics, our experts deliver precise, evidence-based analyses that support litigation, insurance claims, and safety evaluations.
​
Key Areas of Analysis Include:
-
Injury Causation — Determining whether reported injuries are consistent with the forces, motions, and mechanisms involved in the incident
-
Restraint Use and Effectiveness — Evaluating the performance of seat belts, airbags, and other safety systems in mitigating injury risk
-
Occupant Seating Position — Reconstructing pre-impact positions based on kinematics, evidence, and dynamics
-
Occupant Ejection Trajectory — Modeling post-impact paths and forces during ejections in rollovers or high-energy events
-
Occupant Ejection Portal — Identifying likely exit points from the vehicle and associated injury mechanisms
-
Occupant Interactions — Assessing contacts with vehicle restraints, other occupants, interior components, and the external environment
-
Effectiveness of Vehicle or Product Design — Analyzing current designs and potential alternatives for improved safety and injury prevention
Technical Services
Low & High Speed Crashes
JEA leverages decades of forensic experience in accident reconstruction, vehicle dynamics, and human biodynamics to evaluate occupant response across the full spectrum of crash severities. We apply physics-based principles, crash test data, computer simulations, and human tolerance research to determine injury causation objectively—whether soft-tissue strains in minor impacts or traumatic injuries in severe collisions.
Our multidisciplinary evaluations bridge crash dynamics and human injury mechanisms using:
-
Detailed reconstruction of delta-V, impact direction, and pulse characteristics
-
Occupant kinematics modeling (e.g., differential motion, ejection paths)
-
Restraint performance assessment (effectiveness in mitigating vs. contributing to forces)
-
Correlation with human tolerance data from crash tests, volunteer studies, and real-world epidemiology
JEA analyses frequently confirm or refute claimed injuries by comparing forces/motions to established biomechanical thresholds, accounting for factors like pre-existing conditions, seating position, and anticipation.
Trust JEA for precise, scientifically sound biomechanics expertise in Northwest San Antonio, delivering reliable conclusions that support informed resolutions.
Rollovers
JEA applies rigorous physics, engineering mechanics, and human biodynamics to evaluate occupant response in rollover crashes—one of the most complex and severe motor vehicle events. Rollover crashes involve multi-directional forces, chaotic vehicle tumbling, roof-to-ground impacts, and variable occupant kinematics, often leading to high-energy interactions with vehicle interiors, restraints, or the external environment.
​
Key Biomechanical Mechanisms in Rollover Crashes:
-
Complex Occupant Kinematics.
-
Roof Intrusion & Compression.
-
Ejection & Partial Ejection.
-
Restraint System Effectiveness.
-
Injury Patterns.
​
JEA's Evidence-Based Approach to Rollover Analysis. We reconstruct rollover sequences (trip phase, airborne, ground impacts) to assess:
-
Delta-V, roll rate, number of quarter turns/roof inversions, and impact orientation
-
Occupant positioning (seating, pre-impact posture), restraint use, and interactions (e.g., belt slip, head-to-roof diving)
-
Causation consistency with claimed injuries (e.g., whether forces exceed human tolerance thresholds)
-
Vehicle design contributions (e.g., roof strength, glazing retention) and potential alternatives for injury prevention