Gordon M. Jenish, P.Eng. - Jenish Forensic Engineering

Jenish Forensic Engineering Limited

We provide the client with the an engineering analysis based on scientific principles, current research, and the physical evidence.  Combining state of the art tools with years of experience, we offer expertise to insurance companies, the legal profession, and other clients who need to understand complex technical issues, or to simply determine what caused an accident, fire or failure.

Engineering Expertise

Our engineers have completed research and test programs for Transport Canada, General Motors, the Canadian Coast Guard, and other vehicle safety equipment manufacturers.  Our experience has included design and testing of vehicle braking and fuel systems, child restraint testing, and also vehicle defect investigations.  In addition, our staff conducts regular research, testing, and training in support of our investigations, such that we can maintain a knowledge base that is current and applicable to the services that we offer.

Accident Reconstruction

Vehicle speeds, driver actions, seatbelt usage, and other critical aspects of a crash can be determined through analysis of the physical evidence. By combining a thorough field investigation with proven engineering techniques, we can answer many of the questions that remain after the police investigation is complete.  We use crash simulations to analyse vehicle trajectories, speeds, and impact severity levels.  For courtroom or arbitration purposes, we can provide demonstrative exhibits such as computer simulations and technical illustrations.

Vehicle Speed Assessments

Seatbelt Usage

Low speed Impact Analysis

Vehicle Mechanical Assessments

Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Pedestrian and bicycle collisions

Motorcycle collisions

Insurance Fraud Investigations

Crash simulations

Crash Data Recorders

Many vehicles are now equipped with crash data recorders and other control modules that store vehicle data electronically. So-called "black boxes" continually record vehicle speed, throttle position, and braking, and are generally designed to lock the data in the event of a crash. It may be possible to retrieve information from the vehicle data recorder that can be very helpful in reconstructing the collision, and the driver's actions leading up to the crash.  We have the latest tools, training, and experience to download and analyse this data.  Information that can be extracted may include:

Seat belt status (buckled / unbuckled)

Vehicle speed and impact speed change

Percent throttle / engine speed

Brake light status (on/off)

Vehicle diagnostic system data

Passenger seat occupant sensor data

Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims result in questions about the cause of injury, and whether the injury was consistent with accident details described.  It may be a question of whether the appropriate safety equipment was in place, and whether the equipment performed as required. In other cases, biomechanical data may provide an understanding of how forces act on the human body, resulting in a particular injury pattern.  Whether the result of a motor vehicle accident, a sporting mishap, or a slip and fall, our analysis can answer questions about how an injury occurred, and how it may have been prevented.

Slip / Trip and Fall

Sporting accidents

Low speed collisions

Product liability

Safety equipment usage

Failure Analysis

Failure of a single component in a vehicle, building, or machine can cause considerable damage and personal injury.  By conducting metallurgical analysis and stress calculations, we can determine whether a failed component was properly suited for the application, whether it was manufactured to the proper standards, and what failure mode occurred.