Damage To The Vehicle's Bumper Occur As Reported Or Enhanced?

Accident reconstructionists are often asked to determine whether the damage to a vehicle’s bumper is consistent with the reported accident or crash. While performing an inspection and analysis of the damage in question, the reconstructionist will generally be considering the following:

The forces transferred to and from the bumper must be equal and opposite.
The principal direction of forces between the bumper and the other vehicle/objects will define the line of action and the resulting bumper deformation.
The deformation of the bumper will at first be elastic. Elastic deformation means that upon removal of force, the bumper will return to its original shape. Above a certain level of force and induced stress, the deformation of the bumper will become plastic, or permanently deformed. There may also be a level of restitution.
Bumper cuts, tears, and shapes of deformation should be explainable relative to contact with another vehicle, an object (such as a tree) or a sequence of events (i.e., the bumper fell off and was subsequently run over by another vehicle).

Additional bumper contact or hammer marks, slices/cuts, or damage inconsistent with an accident or subsequent series of events can indicate vehicle damage enhancement. If enhancement is suspected, ARCCA’s Experts can make a determination based upon their inspection and analysis of the data.

PETER CHEN, M.S.M.E., M.B.A., P.E., CFEI, ACTAR, is a mechanical engineer at ARCCA specializing in Accident Reconstruction, Fire Cause/Origin, Product Failure/Liability, Car/Truck Failure Analysis, Industrial Equipment, Worksite Safety, Aviation, Medical/Rehabilitative and Exercise Equipment, Warnings and Instructions, and Transportation, including Railroad incidents.