Kelly E. Bosch, Ph.D., P.E., ACTAR
Principal Consultant
Get to know the expert
Expert QuestionS & AnswerS
What kinds of cases or matters do you most often work on, and what makes you the right person to handle them?
I specialize in seatbelt defense cases and matters where airbag deployments, or the lack thereof, are involved. With a unique background including full-vehicle crash testing experience for litigation and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, combined with a history in safety systems integration and vehicle safety design including airbags and seatbelts, as well the ability to perform MADYMO occupant simulations, I can leverage a specialized skill set to analyze these complex matters.
What questions should clients be asking when they’re vetting an expert in your field — and what answers should they be looking for?
The ability to leverage prior experience can be invaluable for biomechanical evaluations. I believe it is important to consider an expert’s work history and learn more about their background to see how they can assist in answering complex questions. For example, in airbag non-deployment analyses, I recommend determining if the expert has conducted crash testing, understands EDR outputs, and is knowledgeable in crash sensing and algorithm development to fully analyze the question at hand.
What separates a strong engagement in your area from a weak one, from your perspective as the expert?
For seatbelt and airbag matters especially, investigations are most effective when accident reconstruction, occupant kinematics, and injury biomechanics are evaluated together. I provide an integrated, holistic approach combining these analyses with a strong background in understanding regulatory and due care crash sensing and safety requirements, EDR analysis, and injury consistency evaluations, especially using modeling and simulation tools like MADYMO to ensure no detail is overlooked.
Background
Dr. Kelly Bosch holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, an M.Eng. degree in Automotive Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with a focus in Impact Biomechanics. She is also a Certified Vehicle Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR #4083) through the Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction. Her areas of expertise include the biomechanics of human injury, accident reconstruction, vehicle safety design, seatbelt defense, airbag investigations (non-deployments and counterfeit products), and military underbody blast occupant safety.
Dr. Bosch has over 15 years of occupant and crash safety research experience at various vehicle manufacturers, with a focus on safety restraint systems and interior design for occupant protection. Dr. Bosch has experience in assessing occupant kinematics and kinetics with resulting injury analysis in passenger vehicle and military underbody blast settings. She is well-versed in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for safety and crash testing, and she has performed numerous full-vehicle crash tests for both regulatory compliance and litigation matters. Her accident reconstruction experience includes, but is not limited to, passenger vehicles, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, heavy trucks, roof strength analyses, seatbelt defense assessments, and pedestrian impacts.
Dr. Bosch is published in numerous publications related to occupant safety, accident reconstruction, and military underbody blast analysis using Mathematical Dynamic Modeling (MADYMO) software.
Education and Certifications
- Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.: Wayne State University (2019)
- Automotive Engineering, M.Eng.: University of Michigan (2009)
- Mechanical Engineering (summa cum laude, honors), B.S.E.: University of Michigan (2008)
- Licensed Professional Engineer: Arizona (2012), Michigan (2020), and Ohio (2020)
- Traffic Accident Reconstructionist: Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR #4083)
Publications
- “Optimization of Underbody Blast Energy-Attenuating Seat Mechanisms Using Modified MADYMO Human Body Models,” J Biomech Eng. June 2021; 143(6): 061006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050025 Bosch, KEB., Bailey Good, A, Spratley, EM, Salzar, RS, Begeman, PC, and Cavanaugh, JM, 2021.
- “Blast Mitigation Seat Analysis – Evaluation of Lumbar Compression Data Trends in 5th Percentile Female Anthropomorphic Test Device Performance Compared to 50th Percentile Male Anthropomorphic Test Device in Drop Tower Testing,” DETC2016-59094. Proceedings of the ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, Bosch K, 2016.
- “Evaluation of WIAMan Technology Demonstrator -Biofidelity relative to Sub-Injurious PMHS Response in Simulated Under-body Blast Events,” Stapp Car Crash Journal, Vol. 60. 199-246 Pietsch HA, Bosch KE, Weyland DR, Spratley EM, Henderson KA, Salzar RS, Smith TA, Sagara BM, Demetropoulous CK, Dooley, CJ, Merkle AC, 2016.
- “Blast Mitigation Seat Analysis – Assessment of the Effect of Personal Protective Equipment on the 5th Percentile Female Anthropomorphic Test Device Performance in Drop Tower Evaluations”, DETC2015-46342. Proceedings of the ASME 2015 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference IDETC/CIE 2015, Bosch K, Harris K, Clark D, Scherer R, Melotik J, 2015.
- “Blast Mitigation Seat Analysis – Drop Tower Data Review,” 2014 NDIA Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium Modeling & Simulation, Testing and Validation (MSTV) Technical Session, Bosch K, Harris K, Clark D, Scherer R, Melotik J, 2014.
- “Full-Scale Moving Motorcycle into Moving Car Crash Testing for Use in Safety Design and Accident Reconstruction,” SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-0103, Smith J, Frank T, Bosch K, Fowler G., et al., 2012.
- “Simulating Moving Motorcycle to Moving Car Crashes,” SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-0621, Frank T, Smith J, Fowler G, Carter J, Bosch K, 2012.