John Bauer

Biography

Mr. Bauer is a forensic engineering consultant & vehicle crash reconstructionist with experience investigating and analyzing vehicle accidents, component failures, & product liability. His area of expertise is vehicle occupant safety restraints, including seatbelts & airbags. Prior to becoming an expert consultant, he held various engineering positions in the automotive industry for 25 years. Mr. Bauer spent over 23 years directly involved in automotive safety while focusing on design, simulation & testing.

Mr. Bauer utilized his automotive engineering experience to become a forensic expert consultant in 2014. Since then, he has become certified as a vehicle crash reconstructionist, “black box” event data technician & analyst, & drone pilot. His work encompasses vehicle accident inspection & analysis, crash simulation & testing, component failure evaluation & product liability. Mr. Bauer advises team members & clients on various qualified topics, including airbags & seatbelts. He has provided investigation, analysis, reports, testimony & exhibits to resolve insurance claims & civil litigation.

Credentials

• PE | Professional Engineer
• ACTAR | Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) - Traffic Accident Reconstructionist, Registration #3379
• FAA Certified Drone Pilot

Representative Consulting Assignments

• Vehicle Crash Reconstruction | Determined factors that influenced rollover of golf car with five occupants.
• Vehicle Crash Reconstruction | Determined vehicle collision sequence & other factors for multi-vehicle crashes.
• Vehicle Crash Reconstruction | Determined factors that influenced rollover of rented front loader during unloading.
• Vehicle Crash Reconstruction | Determined factors that influenced forklift-pedestrian accident at chicken processing work site.
• Vehicle Crash Reconstruction | Determined factors that influenced tractor-trailer & passenger vehicle crash with centerline crossing.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Investigated possible defects with accelerator, steering, and brakes on passenger automobiles, light trucks, & heavy-duty commercial vehicles.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Investigated wheel runoff crashes & determined cause of wheel stud failure.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Evaluated reported seatbelt defect in dump truck rollover crash
• Vehicle Product Failure | Evaluated 2-vehicle crash with reported seatbelt defect.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Investigated reported airbag defect in vehicle involved in five-fatality accident.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Investigated potential restraints failure & resulting fatality of 12-year-old boy on ride at Schlitterbahn Waterpark.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Investigated seatbelt failure on go-cart that overturned.
• Vehicle Product Failure | Investigated reported seatbelt failure on ATV that overturned & slid into pond.

Professional Experience

• 2024 - Current | Senior Accident Reconstructionist | YA Engineering Services
• 2022 - 2024 | Principal Consultant | Rimkus
• 2014 - 2022 | Senior Consultant | Rimkus
• 2014 - 2014 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering Experts
• 1997 - 2014 | Principal Product Engineer | TRW Automotive
• 1995 - 1997 | Program Manager | Morton International
• 1992 - 1995 | Project Engineer | Morton International
• 1991 - 1992 | Product Development Engineer, Seat Belts | TRW Automotive
• 1989 - 1991 | Applications Engineer | BorgWarner

Area of Practice

• Accident Reconstruction
• Drone Pilot 
• Equipment / Product Failure Investigations 
• Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction
• Vehicle Electronic Data Download 

Publications and Presentations

• 1995 - “Part Design and Material Selection for Single Shot Injection Molded Passenger Airbag Deployment Doors.” SAE 950349. 1995.
• 2021 - "Air Bags: Debunking The Myths... It's Not Rocket Science, Or Is It?" The DefenseLine, South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys' Association, Spring 2021, Volume 49, Issue 1.

Education

• University of Detroit Mercy - Master of Science - Engineering Management - Detroit - Michigan
• Milwaukee School of Engineering - Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering - Milwaukee - Wisconsin

Training Courses

• Global Toyota Techstream Plus GTS+ Diagnostic & Data Retrieval - Rimkus - 2024
• CloudCompare - Recon-3D Inc. - 2024
• Commercial Vehicle Inspections - Rimkus - 2023
• FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone License Exam Prep - DARTdrones LLC - 2023
• Human Factors in Commercial Motor Vehicles CMVs - Rimkus - 2023
• Virtual Crash Simulation Software Basics - Rimkus - 2023
• Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorders - Rimkus - 2022
• Event Data Recorder EDR Use in Reconstruction - Level I - Institute of Police Technology Management IPTM - 2022
• Event Links - Vehicle Locator/Sightings - Motorola - Web Meeting - 2022
• Driver Distraction in Vehicle Collisions - Rimkus - Raleigh Crash CE Event - 2022
• Advanced Troubleshooting & Vehicle Systems for CDR/EDR Operators & Technicians - Kent E. Boots & Associates - 2022
• LIDAR Scanner - iPad Pro/iPhone Pro - Rimkus - 2022
• Autonomous Vehicle Technology - CASIU - Webinar - 2021
• Motorcycle VAR; Human Factors; Roadway Design; CDR Update - SC Accident Reconstruction Specialists - Southeast Collision Reconstruction Conference - 2021
• Cell Phone Records: Unique Wire - Rimkus - 2021
• Bicycle VAR - Rimkus - 2021
• Human Factors in Transportation - Rimkus - 2020
• Toyota Techstream Diagnostic & Data Retrieval Software - Rimkus - 2020
• Bosch CDR Tool Technician - Institute of Police Technology Management - 2018
• Human Vehicle Environment (HVE) Vehicle Dynamic Simulation Software - Engineering Dynamics Corp. - 2018
• Traffic Crash Reconstruction II - Northwestern Center for Public Safety - 2016
• Traffic Crash Investigation II - Northwestern Center for Public Safety - 2016
• Traffic Crash Investigation I - Northwestern Center for Public Safety - 2015
• Airbag Sensor Design - SAE - 1997

Affiliations

• Society of Automotive Engineers SAE - Member
• South Carolina Accident Reconstruction Specialists SCARS - Member

Licenses

• 36146-E - Alaska - Professional Engineer
• PE039795 - Georgia - Professional Engineer
• 32028 - Kentucky - Professional Engineer
• 042216 - North Carolina - Professional Engineer
• 32129 - South Carolina - Professional Engineer
• 0402054730 - Virginia - Professional Engineer
• 21222 - West Virginia - Professional Engineer
• E-30639-6 - Wisconsin - Professional Engineer