We just became aware of the passing of Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Thibault back on September 10, 2011. He was well know as a biomechanics expert witness for the plaintiffs in propeller strike cases.

Dr. Thibault, a former Chairman of the School of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and founded Biomechanics, Inc. at Exton Pennsylvania. As Biomechanics Inc. he represented many propeller accident victims or their survivors.

I never met him, but have followed his work through the years. Dr. Thibault’s efforts at reducing a number of propeller accident reports to a series of graphics to illustrate potential injury methods were among the first efforts to make BARD accident reports more understandable, and to try to apply what could be learned from them. His August 14, 1987 letter containing those sketches of 19 boat propeller accidents to Stephen Bolden as part of his report on a propeller case is well known in the industry and was supplied to the 1989 NBSAC Committee on Propeller Guards.

As we understand it, it looks like Dr. Thibault’s son Dr. Kirk Thibault will be continuing his work at Biomechanics, Inc. We are not sure if he will be specifically continuing his father’s efforts in propeller accidents or not.

We thank Dr. Thibault for his years of work in propeller safety extend our condolences to his family.

Philly.com published Lawrence Thibault’s obituary and is the source of his image above.