Analyze the physics of the incident Determine the actual injuries Analyze the "predicted" and actual injuries Evaluate the "as-described" incident Analyze the mechanism of injury

Gather relevant physical data, e.g., the scene, others involved, reported and possible impact surfaces, electrical conductors, machinery characteristics, reported and possible height of falls, etc. Analyze the testimony of emergency services and law enforcement first responders and witnesses. Inspect vehicles, restraint systems, helmets, and so forth for deformation, witness marks, presumed blood stains, etc. Document the "as-described" (e.g., from testimony) dynamics of the incident ... these dynamics may or may not be supported by analysis. The actual injuries (or lack thereof) may be concealed in medical record nuances missed by non-medical biomechanical experts. Note that chronic pain can be considered an injury in and of itself. Analyze the role of preexisting conditions in the response of the individual to trauma, e.g., see Case Study: Lumbar spine injury with predisposing condition). Establish the actual injuries and the medical reality which must be satisfied by any proposed theory of the mechanism of injury. Estimate the injuries which are "predicted" by the "as-described" biomechanical model based solely on the "as-described" incident. These "predicted" injuries may or may not match the actual injuries, which are consistent with the more realistic biomechanical model. The more realistic biomechanical model is based on both the physics of the incident and all the available medical data, e.g., see Case Study: Snowmobile helmet failure and fatal brain injury. Compare the forces and dynamics predicted by the "as-described" biomechanical model to the forces and dynamics given by the more realistic biomechanical model. If the forces and dynamics produced by the two models do not agree, the "as-described" incident description is probably wrong. If so, update the forces and dynamics to those produced by the more realistic biomechanical model, e.g., see Case Study: Bus vs. pedestrian fatal accident. Use the combination of realistic and "as-described" biomechanical models to decide whether the "as-described" incident really happened. If the actual injuries are inconsistent with the realistic biomechanical model, it is unlikely the incident caused them. A realistic model by nature describes body movement and the effects of restraints, e.g., seatbelts in a "what if" alternative scenario. Calculate the causal connection (if any) between the incident as described and the mechanism and occurrence of the actual injuries "as simply as possible, but not simpler." (Albert Einstein)