Events
Following is a list of all upcoming Knott Laboratory events. For more information, please contact Candace Taylor, 303.925.1900 x119.
November 7-9, 2008
Consumer Attorneys of California 47th Annual Convention
At the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) 47th Annual Convention, Knott Laboratory will exhibit from November 7th through November 9th, 2007.
CAOC website
Contact:Candace Taylor
October 16-21, 2008
Masonry Society 2008 Annual Meeting
The Masonry Society 2008 Annual Meeting will be held in Salt Lake City, UT and Knott Laboratory will be attending on October 16th through October 21th, 2008.
The Masonry Society website
Contact:Candace Taylor
October 2008
Colorado Claims Association 2008 Annual Meeting
Knott Laboratory will exhibit at the Colorado Claims Association (CCA) 2008 Annual Meeting. at the Inverness Hotel in Englewood, CO.
CCA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
October 2, 2008
CPCU Society - Annual Colorado and Pikes Peak Chapters' All Industry Day
We will exhibit at the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society - Annual Colorado and Pikes Peak Chapters' All Industry Day in Denver, CO on October 2nd, 2008.
CPCU Society website
Contact:Candace Taylor
August 28-31, 2008
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles 2008 Annual Meeting
The Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) 2008 Annual Meeting will be held in Las Vegas, NV and Knott Laboratory will exhibit on August 28th through August 31th, 2008.
CAALA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
August 15, 2008
Denver Claims Association Golf Tournament
Knott Laboratory will participate in the Denver Claims Association(DCA) Golf Tournament
on August 8, 2008.
DCA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
August 8, 2008
Colorado Springs Claims Association Golf Tournament
Knott Laboratory will participate in the Colorado Springs Claims Association Golf Tournament
on August 8, 2008.
Colorado Springs Claims Association website
Contact:Candace Taylor
August 4-9, 2008
American Bar Association 2008 Annual Meeting
Knott Laboratory will exhibit at the American Bar Association 2008 Annual Meeting in New York, NY on August 4th through the 9th, 2008.
ABA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
July 12-15, 2008
American Association for Justice 2008 Summer Convention
The American Association for Justice (AAJ) 2008 Summer Convention will be held in Philadelphia, PA. Knott Laboratory will exhibit from July 12th through July 15th, 2008.
AAJ website
Contact:Candace Taylor
June 19-22, 2008
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys 2008 Annual Convention
Knott Laboratory will exhibit at the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA) 2008 Annual Convention in Lake Ozark, MO from June 19th thorugh June 22nd, 2008.
MATA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
June 6, 2008
Belfor Charity Golf Tournament
Knott Laboratory participated in the Belfor Charity Golf Tournament on June 6th, 2008.
Contact:Candace Taylor
May 16, 2008
Colorado Springs Claims Association 2008 Annual Convention
Knott Laboratory presented and exhibited at the Colorado Springs Claims Association 2008 Annual Convention
on May 16, 2008.
Colorado Springs Claims Association website
Contact:Candace Taylor
May 9, 2008
Rocky Mountain Association of Special Investigation Units Seminar
We exhibited at
Rocky Mountain Association of Special Investigation Units Seminar
on May 9th, 2008.
RMASIU website
Contact:Candace Taylor
April 14-17, 2008
Society of Automotive Engineers 2008 World Congress
Knott Laboratory attended the
Society of Automotive Engineers 2008 World Congress
on April 14th through April 17th, 2008.
SAE website
Contact:Candace Taylor
April 13-16, 2008
Property Loss Research Bureau Claims Conference 2008
John Palmer, Ph.D., P.E., C.F.E.I, and Tessa Drinnan, B.Sc., E.I., presented at the Property Loss Research Bureau Claims Conference 2008
from April 13th through April 16th, 2008.
PRLB website
Contact:Candace Taylor
March 21, 2008
Michael A. Rein recognized as Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator
At the National Fire Arson and Explosion Investigation Program, Michael A. Rein achieved national recognition as a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator. From the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) website, this certification 'provides investigators specializing in the various disciplines of fire and explosion investigation will have immediate acceptance as "Experts".'
NAFI website
Contact:Candace Taylor
March 28, 2008
Rocky Mountain Property Claims Association Bowling Tournament Charity Fundraiser
Knott Laboratory participated in the Rocky Mountain Property Claims Association Bowling Tournament Charity Fundraiser in Lone tree, CO on March 28, 2008.
RMPCA Bowling Tournament Charity Fundraiser
at the Brunswick Zone in Lone Tree, CO on March 28, 2008.
RMPCA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
February 20, 2008
Jeffrey K. Ball, Ph.D., P.E., received the SAE 2007 Excellence in Oral Presentation Award
Knott Laboratory, LLC is pleased to announce Dr. Jeff Ball, VP of Mechanical Engineering received the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) 2007 Excellence in Oral Presentation Award!!
The award recognizes speakers who gave outstanding presentations during SAE’s meetings during 2007.
Dr. Ball received this award in recognition of his presentation entitled, “A Method for Determining and Presenting Driver Visibility in Commercial Vehicles” at the SAE 2007 Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress & Exhibition.
SAE website
Contact:Candace Taylor
January 1, 2008
Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E., elected as Director-at-Large to NAFE
The National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE) elected Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E., to the Board of Directors. He will serve as Director-at-Large starting in January 2008.
NAFE website
Contact:Candace Taylor
Janurary 6 - 8, 2008
Ben T. Railsback, M.S., P.E. and Richard M. Ziernicki, Ph.D., P. E., present paper at NAFE Conference
Forensic Engineering Assessment of Safety for Stand Up Forklifts
by Ben T. Railsback M.S., P.E. (NAFE 713M) and
Richard M. Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E. (NAFE 308F)
Introduction
Forklifts operated from a stand up position rather than a seated position offer a significant advantage to increase warehouse capacity. Stand up lift trucks can be operated in warehouse aisles as narrow as 8 feet. In contrast, traditional sit down lift trucks typically require aisles approximately 11 feet wide. Aisle width reduction can increase warehouse capacity approximately 20 to 25 percent. However, a significant hazard exists with the use of stand up lift trucks that does not exist with sit down lift trucks; the hazard of a horizontal rack beam entering the operator compartment and crushing the operator. Sit down lift trucks are equipped with a roll over protective structure typically comprised of a canopy supported by four vertical posts. Stand up lift trucks are typically equipped with an overhead guard to protect the operator from falling objects, however, the rear of the canopy is not typically supported by posts. The overhead guard design leaves the rear of the operator compartment open, and horizontal rack beams can intrude into the operator compartment, crushing the operator between the rack and the lift truck. Hundreds of serious accidents have resulted from this hazard and over a dozen operators have sustained fatal injuries.
Another significant hazard related to stand up lift trucks is the hazard of a lower limb injury or foot crush due to the opening across the rear of the operator compartment. Numerous injuries have occurred to the lower limbs of stand up lift truck operators due to the close proximity of the operator’s lower limbs to the exterior of the lift truck, and the confined areas that stand up lift trucks operate in. The operator’s foot or leg can become pinned between the moving lift truck and a fixed object such as a rack system, column, or another lift truck. The accident database compiled by one of the stand up forklift manufacturers indicates that the manufacturer’s stand up lift trucks have been involved in over 3,000 incidents/accidents in the last thirty years. Over 500 accidents involving lower limb injury/foot crush have occurred. Both foot crush injuries and horizontal intrusion injuries share a common theme; the operator becomes injured while the lift truck is traveling in a forks trailing manner (traveling with the forks or load end following the truck.)
This paper will detail the hazards of horizontal intrusion and lower limb injury for the operators of stand up lift trucks, review standards related to operator protection against horizontal intrusion and lower limb injury, summarize a safety engineering analysis of the stand up lift truck design including guarding to the mitigate the hazards, and present three cases tried to jury verdict regarding injury accidents on stand up lift trucks.
NAFE website
Contact:Candace Taylor
January 6-8, 2008
Ben Railsback, P.E. and Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E., attend NAFE Conference
Ben Railsback, P.E. and Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E., attended the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE) Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico from January 6th through January 8th, 2008.
NAFE website
Contact:Candace Taylor
November 20, 2007
Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E., Presents Continuing Legal Education Class
Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E. presented a CLE class entitled 'Expert Opinions In Visual Form: State Of The Art Animation.' This was taught at the Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP Law firm on November 20, 2007.
Wilson Elser website
Contact:Candace Taylor
November 9, 2007
Consumer Attorneys of California 46th Annual Convention
At the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) 46th Annual Convention, Knott Laboratory attended from November 9th through November 11, 2007.
CAOC website
Contact:Candace Taylor
November 8, 2007
Richard Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E. presents paper at European Association for Accident Research and Analysis Conference
Limitations of the Possibility of Applying the Monte Carlo Simulation in Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
by Richard M. Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E., Jeffrey K. Ball, Ph.D., P.E.
Abstract
The Monte Carlo simulation has become a popular method for dealing with uncertainty within analyses. The popularity of the Monte Carlo method is due in some measure to the increased computing power available to reconstructionists. Plug-in modules to spreadsheet packages also enable easy access to Monte Carlo simulations. However, the presence of such software does not completely automate the process, and the reconstructionist must still exercise judgment in applying the Monte Carlo method to accident reconstruction. Two areas requiring judgment are examined in this paper.
First, one of the key factors underlying the Monte Carlo analysis is the assumed probability distribution of the individual factors within the analysis. The literature has examples and recommendations for assuming normal, uniform, or custom distributions for input parameters. The paper examines what effect the assumed input distributions have on the resulting probability distributions.
Second, with the large number of samples typically considered during a Monte Carlo analysis, the resulting probability distribution tends to be normal and lends itself well to statistical interpretation as to the “most likely” range of the desired parameter.
The analysis in this paper was performed with a plug-in to Excel called Crystal Ball®, and the version of Crystal Ball® used for this paper allows the user to selectively filter results which do not agree with physical reality (for example, non-equal force balances within a crush energy analysis). When filtering results, the final probability distribution can be skewed. Therefore, this paper also examines methods of identifying the “most likely” range from within a skewed probability distribution.
European Association for Accident Research and Analysis (EVU) XVI Conference website
Institute of Forensic Research website
EVU website
Contact:Candace Taylor
November 8, 2007
'All Industry Day' sponsored by CPCU Society
The Colorado and Pike's Peak chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society presents their All Industry Day. Knott Laboratory exhibited at this show.
Colorado Chapter of CPCU website
CPCU website
Contact:Candace Taylor
October 29, 2007
Ben Railsback, P.E. and Candace Taylor present Continuing Education Class
Ben Railsback, P.E. and Candace Taylor taught a CE class on Vehicular Accident Reconstruction. This class was presented at State Farm Insurance on October 29, 2007.
State Farm Insurance website
Contact:Candace Taylor
October 29, 2007
Jeffrey K. Ball, Ph.D, P.E., presented a paper at the SAE 2007 Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress & Exhibition
A Method for Determining and Presenting Driver Visibility in Commercial Vehicles
by Jeffrey K. Ball, Ph.D, P.E., David A. Danaher, P.E., Richard M. Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E.
Abstract
Driver visibility from commercial vehicles is often an issue in post-accident litigation. While the visibility through the windows of most vehicles is restricted due to the required structure of the vehicle itself, most manufacturers and users incorporate a series of mirrors to enhance driver visibility and to reduce blind spots.
The challenge for an engineer is to first demonstrate what the driver could see to a reasonable degree of engineering certainty, and then to convey this information in a form that is easy for the lay person to grasp.
This paper outlines procedures for calculating and modeling the driver visibility from commercial vehicles. The primary techniques presented require access to the vehicle, although the paper also presents techniques by which visibility can be analyzed through photogrammetry and 3-D computer models, both for the vehicle and for any mirrors incorporated onto the vehicle. Finally, this paper presents several techniques which have been used successfully to convey visibility information to adjusters and juries.
Article is currently in press.
Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE) Technical Session Schedule for upcoming conference
SAE website
Contact:Candace Taylor
October 5, 2007
Colorado Claims Association 2007 Annual Meeting
We exhibited at the Colorado Claims Association Annual Meeting.
Colorado Claims Association website
Contact:Candace Taylor
September 6, 2007
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Convention
Knott Laboratory exhibited at the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles Convention from September 6th through September 9th, 2007.
CAALA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
August 8, 2007
Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention
At the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Knott Laboratory attended from August 8 through August 12, 2007.
CTLA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
August 2, 2007
South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention
Knott Laboratory exhibited at the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association (SCTLA) Annual Convention.
SCTLA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
July 27, 2007
David A. Danaher, P.E. presents paper at National Academy of Forensic Engineers conference
Forensic Engineering Evaluation of Physical Evidence in Accident Reconstruction
by David A. Danaher, P.E. (NAFE 703M), Richard M. Ziernicki, Ph.D., P.E. (NAFE 308F), Jeffrey K. Ball, Ph.D., P.E. (NAFE 712M)
Introduction
Physical evidence deposited by vehicles as a result of an accident may not always be fully documented by the investigating law enforcement officers by means of measurements. Many times, the investigating officers are able to document the location of the vehicles at rest, but can only measure and locate some of the related tire marks and/or gouges that may be present on the roadway as a result of the collision. The officers may further supplement their investigation by photographing the scene of the accident. The photographs often depict the position and geometry of other physical evidence relative to the roadway or other geographic features. However, the forensic engineer may require more detailed information regarding the physical evidence than is shown in the photographs or measured by the officers, and must therefore take further steps to extract it.
Depending on the evaluation required in the case, the forensic engineer would need to further analyze the accident by an inspection of the accident site and/or vehicles. After collecting the available information from the measurements made by the officers, the photographs taken at the scene, and the inspections by the forensic engineer, the data must then be compiled in a comprehensive form to further evaluate the dynamics of the accident.
This paper discusses three methods (Camera Matching, Photogrammetry, and Rectification) of collecting the physical evidence from several sources and the procedure of producing a comprehensive forensic map of the evidence relative to the roadway and the dynamic motion of the vehicle.
Article is currently in press
NAFE website
Contact:David A. Danaher, P.E.
July 14, 2007
American Association for Justice Annual Convention
The American Association for Justice (AAJ) Annual Convention was held in Chicago, IL. Knott Laboratory exhibited from July 14th through July 18th, 2007.
AAJ website
Contact:Candace Taylor
June 21, 2007
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys Annual Convention
David A. Dahaner, P.E., represented Knott Laboratory at the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA) Annual Convention in Lake Ozark, MO.
MATA website
Contact:David A. Danaher, P.E.
June 13, 2007
Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention
At the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association (WTLA) 2007 Annual Convention, Knott Laboratory showcased our products and services.
WTLA website
Contact:Candace Taylor
