DESCRIPTION

This course will provide attendees with an understanding of the modern digital technology contained within commercial trucks traveling on our roadways, along with the potential digital data contained within heavy machinery in fields, construction sites, and elsewhere. An understanding will be gained of how this data is obtained, what may be captured, and how it can be applied to a case. In conjunction, components failures (material failures) will be analyzed to provide the attendees with a look at how an expert can determine if the component failed due to the incident or if the component failed causing the incident. Case studies will be provided to show how these methods work independently and together in cases.

This course has been approved by the Idaho State Bar for Idaho 1.0 MCLE credit.

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO:

GUEST SPEAKERS

Ian Grissom is a Senior Accident Reconstructionist specializing in the reconstruction of passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian collisions. He is certified to access and interpret Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorders and is also a certified as a BOSCH Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) Technician. His experience also encompasses human factors related to motor vehicle accidents, including driver response and night time visibility analyses. He is accredited by the Accreditation Committee for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR #3820) and is experienced in the acquisition and analysis of vehicle telematics data, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Mr. Grissom is also experienced in conducting scene diagrams and drawings utilizing computer aided design software and photogrammetry analyses.

Mr. Grissom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seattle Pacific University. During his studies, he worked within multiple interdisciplinary engineer teams to plan, design, and manufacture deliverables for faculty and staff review. Mr. Grissom remains up-to-date with the advancements in automotive technology and data recording capabilities of both passenger and commercial vehicles, and is actively conducting research in these areas.

AREAS OF SPECIALTY

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Wade Lanning   Ph.D.

Wade Lanning is a forensic investigator who uses his expertise in materials science and engineering to determine how and why a failure or accident occurred. Dr. Lanning is also a safety engineer and analyzes how product design, manufacturing, instructions and warnings, and consumer behavior relate to an accident. Dr. Lanning investigates incidents of any scope, from minor property damage to major accidents involving loss of life. He also works as a consultant in material processing, failure analysis, and risk management, and conducts research in forensic investigation and accident prevention.

Dr. Lanning holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Science degree in MSE from Penn State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in MSE from Boise State University. His research and teaching background include the mechanical properties of materials, material strengthening mechanisms, electromechanical failure modes of capacitors, and fracture mechanics. As a former laboratory manager, Dr. Lanning has experience designing equipment, the workplace, and policies to protect people from hazardous machines, electricity, chemicals, and radiation.

As a forensic investigator, Dr. Lanning applies materials science and engineering knowledge to understand the history of an artifact. Whether the part is made from metal, ceramic, polymer, or a composite, the material an object is made from dictates how the object interacts with its environment, so the condition of the object contains evidence of its past use. Dr. Lanning’s past forensic investigations include failures of heavy construction and mining equipment, automobile suspensions, architectural glazing, plumbing materials, wood structures and furniture, food packaging, kitchen appliances, mechanics’ tools, metalworking tools, welds, fasteners, and industrial and residential fires.

As a safety engineer, Dr. Lanning analyzes how engineering design, technology, standards, instructions, and warnings were used, or should have been used, to manage a hazard. He also designs, builds, and tests existing products and new prototypes to demonstrate different safety devices. Dr. Lanning’s safety engineering analysis experience includes bulldozers, load haul dump (LHD) loaders, steel mill equipment, meat processing equipment, packaging machinery, elevated work platforms, hand and power tools, and consumer products.

AREAS OF SPECIALTY