Illustration proves legal claim while demonstrating physical relationships
The claim: impaired eyesight due to glass entering the eyelid, piercing the skin and remaining embedded in the protective cartilage, the effect of an automobile accident. The defendant, the car's manufacturer, claimed that the eye must have been scratched some other way since the glass slivers were embedded solely in the eyelid. The exhibits were deemed necessary in order to focus attention on a part of the human body that is vital for protection, yet seldom considered. By describing the comparative thicknesses and densities of the physical layers, it was possible to demonstrate that the velocity with which the foreign particles travel affects the depth to which they penetrate. The issues regarding the windshield, why it broke and shattered, whether the glass was defective or not, and who was at fault were fully weighed.
The exhibit consisted of drawings coordinated in layers like the eye itself. They were displayed as a series of overlays exposed in sequence, as the anatomical relationships were explained verbally. A) Open eye, normal. B) Closed eye. C) The structures of the eyelid. D) Close up detail showing the layers of the internal structures seen in C.
The illustrations were drawn on 30"x40" boards, large enough for the jury to discern clearly without strain in a medium-sized courtroom. The scale could be increased for larger venues.
Below is a cumulative slide show of the exhibit.
The exhibit consisted of drawings coordinated in layers like the eye itself. They were displayed as a series of overlays exposed in sequence, as the anatomical relationships were explained verbally. A) Open eye, normal. B) Closed eye. C) The structures of the eyelid. D) Close up detail showing the layers of the internal structures seen in C.
The illustrations were drawn on 30"x40" boards, large enough for the jury to discern clearly without strain in a medium-sized courtroom. The scale could be increased for larger venues.
Below is a cumulative slide show of the exhibit.