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Accident Reconstruction: Case Photos
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AAFSA Forensic Service Associates
Salvatore R. Raimondi, Sr.,VP
Accident Investigator / Forensic Mechanic
Automotive & All Transportation Accidents Involving Injury Death Defect Negligence Fire Fraud Faulty Repair Lemon Law
Florida,
and All 48 Contintenal States USA
email: info@aafsa.com
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Scrapbook of Case Photos
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Some of our case photography in 35mm and digital format. AS you see them they are either original Digital Images, or 35 mm prints which were converted to Digital Images
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- AudiAirBagNonDeploy2x.jpg
Air bag non-deployment (SRS defect/malfunction) 1994 Audi 100 that was involved in a major front end wreck. SRS Air Bag System did not function.
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- FireKobelco.jpg
Spontaneous fire of Kobelco Machinery (Excavator). Our Client, a National Equipment Leasing Organization, is self insured therefore had sustained the entire total loss of this Equipment for the approximate amount of $140,000.00. This unit was 6 months old at the time of this incident. Corporate Owners processed a warranty claim with the Kobelco Factory for this loss. Kobelco representatives refused warranty repair/replacement as far up as Kobelco headquarters. The Official Fire Investigator's report had incorrectly cited the ignition source as "hot engine parts". We then organized, dissected and researched this case starting with the Offical Reports and documentation provided. During discovery and susequent inspection(s) it became evident that the Fire Investigator's "ignition source of Record" was, in fact, incorrect. We then provided all necessary discovery / evidence to support our analysis in contradiction to that of the "Official" record. This process required the inspection and partial dissection of two other Exemplar machines of exact Manufacture and Model, one exemplar being 6 months older while the other exemplar was 6 months newer. We additionally performed an intense photographic folio, with index, of all three machines including comparative Macrophotography of suspected defective component areas in sequence of production which indicated that the Manufacturer had been aware of a prior problem in this area by virtue of attempted progressive revisions. Our discovery concluded that the machinery ignited from a failure of a component found defective on all similar models inspected.
We negotiated with the Manufacturer on our Client's behalf and quickly resolved this case. As the direct result of our analysis and intervention Kobelco quickly agreed to replace the subject (total loss) machinery with NEW equipment of the (then) current year production (one year newer than subject vehicle) of heavier lifting capacity, at no expense to our Client. Correspondence from anyone having a similar experiece with Kobelco (or any other equipment manufacturer) is appreciated. Notes will be kept confidential. email: info@aafsa.com
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- Fluorescent Hydraulic Dye
Photography of photo-flouroscent hydraulic dye taken during lab research / investigation to determine cause of hydraulic jack failure. In this instance it was our determination that the main body seal had failed due to an imperfection in the casting of the "end cap" and was not caught in the final inspection stages by the manufacturer. It is our opinion that this seal failed suddenly without warning. Do you still think a hydraulic jack it safe ? Make sure you follow read up and follow "all" shop safety guidelines. It came as an outrage to us how "generic" the warning label had been.
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- Close Up Fuel Line Fire Investigation.JPG
This photo is a 2.0 to 2.5 X digital close up of a steel fuel line that is approxiamately 5mm OD (center of picture). In this analysis the subject 2000 Jaguar XKS Converible (new at the time) burned mysteriously while being parked for a half hour. After being handled and torn down by other technicians and inspectors it was sent to us for analysis. The purpose of our reference to this fuel line, and close up, was to show that the tube itself was unburned and now bare proving the rubber fuel line (or remnants of such) had been removed from the steel counter part by someone after the fire and not prior.
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