Category: Accident Analysis / Reconstruction, Auto Safety Roof Crush & Roof Crush Testing--Technical Considerations TASA ID: 189 The problem of evaluating greenhouse structural integrity for rollover accidents, i.e., the roof crush issue, is still unresolved after several decades of consideration. The current federal regulation and the long anticipated upgrade are both inadequate, and it is not clear that NHTSA either can or will come up with a reasonable standard. Read more
Category: Accident Analysis / Reconstruction Mind the Gap: (Platform-to-Railcar Gap) TASA ID: 1013 This article addresses two critical safety issues that affect passengers using subway and commuter rail platforms: Platform-to-railcar horizontal gap and Platform-to-railcar vertical gap. Read more
Category: Accident Analysis / Reconstruction Forensic Analysis of Injury and Death by Asphyxiation TASA ID: 1785 If you were to dive into a pool and hold your breath, how long could you spend underwater? Probably less than a minute unless you conditioned to lower your metabolic rate like a meditating Yogi. However, with practice, many people can hold their breath for about two minutes. What do breath-hold diving, suffocation, strangulation, and drowning have in common? Read more
Category: Accident Analysis / Reconstruction Assembling Materials for Your Accident Investigation/Reconstruction TASA ID: 366 The more information the accident reconstruction analyst has in the beginning of the investigation, the better advantage(s)he has in analyzing your case. Contrary to popular belief, every accident is different in some form. However, gathering the basic information on most accidents remains constant. Read more
Category: Financial/Economic The Current Financial Crisis TASA ID: 1258 The United States has been in the midst of a financial crisis since mid-2006 that resulted from residential real estate foreclosures. The foreclosures caused severe pressures in subprime mortgage markets and ultimately in global money markets. As a result of stricter accounting standards and downgrades by credit rating agencies, various complex mortgage backed financial instruments had to written down on financial institution balance sheets. As housing prices declined, financial institutions worldwide faced severe losses that threatened their survival. By September 2008, severe credit tightening was becoming evident. In response to these events, Congress passed legislation authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to spend up to $700 billion to purchase troubled financial assets. Read more
