pc-crash: Man rightfully Wins New Trial in Car-Accident Trial
Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 3:05 pm
From 2005, moving items from former News page of mchenrysoftware.com:
- "Computer programs can be used…However the mere fact that the results came from a computer does not make the answers accurate. You should always make a careful review of the input variables and how sensitive the outputs are to these inputs. This applies whether you are using a computer or a hand-held calculator". From Traffic Accident Reconstruction, Northwestern Traffic Institute, §-page:68-32
“As scientists, engineers and accident reconstructionists, we should not let the unlimited possibilities of making anything look real (with animation) obscure our duty to perform a careful and detailed engineering analysis while also continually testing and evaluating the applied techniques, including computer programs, to achieve the most accurate reconstruction possible”. From McHenry Accident Reconstruction 2003, McHenry & McHenry
- "We conclude that within reasonable probabilities, but for the error in admitting the computer-generated simulation evidence, the outcome of his trial might have been different."
- The Seattle Times news report, Feb 16, 2005
- The appellate court decision (This is a local copy that has been added to our site for your convenience)
- Docket Number: 51647-7-I
- Title of Case: State of Washington, Respondent v. Michael Sipin, Appellant
- File Date: 02/14/2005
- The opinion has since been moved by Washington Courts to https://www.legalwa.org/
- Opinion is also available on findlaw.com
- The Declaration by Mr. McHenry filed with the court which includes the following important conclusions:
- After over 40 years of research on occupant simulation there is no model in existence today which has been validated as a generally predictive model for detailed occupant kinematics in any type of real-world accidents.
- Accident reconstruction programs and occupant simulation models are subject to limitations imposed by the mathematical idealizations and the simplifying assumptions inherent in any mathematical model of the physical world.