Mid-Valley Claims meeting highlights

Shimada Shares Knowledge on BioMechanics at May MVCA
Defines differences between Biomechanical Engineers and Accident Reconstructionists

By Bryan Harrison, AssociationNewsNetwork, Inc.
Click on each photo for larger version

MVCA John Tucker introduces guest speaker Sean Shimada, PhD.	A good sized crowd turned out once again for the May 2008 MVCA luncheon at Papapavlo's in Stockton.	Biomechanical Engineering expert, Sean Shimada, PhD.	MVCA VP Marv Wenograd, of Frontier Adjusters, and Kevin Lahey, of Belfor, at the May mtg.	2008 MVCA President John Tucker, of Bragg & Associates, thanked Dr. Shimada for sharing his expertise.

Congrats to Claudia Cervantes, of Golden Bear Insurance, on winning the $35 Pot of Gold.

Congrats to $15 Pot of Gold winner Barbara Hall, of Marine Claims Services.

Sean Shimada is a knowledgeable guy. A former educator of biomechanics at California State University at Sacramento, Shimada received his B.S. degree from the College of Letters & Science from the University of California, Davis in 1992. He continued his education at CSUS where he received a Masters in Kinesiology in 1994. He later received a Ph.D. from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in 1998, and a second MS degree in Bio-engineering from that university in 2000.

Now President of Biomechanical Consultants of California, a forensic biomechanics and engineering firm based in Davis, Dr. Shimada's expertise on the subject is unquestioned, and to be revered.

The featured guest speaker at the May 18, 2008 luncheon meeting of the Mid-Valley Claims Association, Dr. Shimada gave an interesting presentation focused largely on the differences between an accident reconstructionist and a biomechanical engineer.

In a nutshell, the accident reconstructionist looks at how a vehicle moves and reactes in accident scenes. The biomechanal engineer takes the numbers from the accident reconstructionist and loos at how the human body reactes under those conditions. Those in his profession are then able to determine whether reported injuries are consistent with incident dynamics.

"Occupant placement in a vehicle makes a difference," he stated. "Being 'out of posture' isn't necessareily bad," he continued. "It can (actually) help you, due to increased muscural stimulus," he explained. "Bracing for a collision can help you reduce injury up to a certain force level," he continued. However, he did say that tensing up makes it worse.

Once informatioin is put together, medical records and data gathered, the biomechanist does what they call "body image mapping" to formulate how the body or bodies moved in a collision, helping them determine what type and the degree of injury one most likely would have experienced.

There will be no June luncheon meeting. Please join the MVCA for the 2008 Golf Tournament, being held Friday, June 27, 2008 at Lockeford Springs Golf Course. Contact MVCA Treasurer Steve Wenograd for information on golfing, sponsorship, and/or attending the dinner banquet afterward. 209-478- 1422, or download golf registration form.

MVCA members, Barbara Larson, Cunningham Lindsey, and Jerilynn Strauss, AAA.

Members Michele Maners, of CIG, and Eloisa Ramos, of Truex Insurance Agency.

May meeting guest speaker Sean Shimada, PhD, chats with James Maddalon, of Taylor Renovation, Inc., before the meeting began.

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