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J.S. Held Acquires Clark Seif Clark, Strengthening West Coast Capabilities for Environmental Claims, Disputes, and Catastrophe Response
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+1 703 202 1448
(Office)
+1 808 720 9623
(Mobile)
909 Commerce Rd
Annapolis, MD 21401
Dr. Rachel Richardson has over eight years of experience specializing in motor vehicle occupant kinematic and injury analysis, computational modeling, and physical sled testing using human cadavers and crash test dummies. Prior to joining J.S. Held in 2025, she served as a mechanical engineer at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), where she led federal research on crash test dummy biofidelity and human injury risk evaluation in postures associated with autonomous vehicles, particularly the recline position.
Dr. Richardson earned her PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia, where she conducted award-winning research on lap belt-pelvis interaction and submarining risk using physical and computational human models. Her technical expertise spans finite element modeling, impact biomechanics, injury causation, and forensic data interpretation.
Dr. Richardson started her role as a Senior Engineer in Biomechanics and Accident Reconstruction in 2025. She is involved in the investigation, reconstruction, and analysis of vehicular accidents, as well as motor vehicle accidents that involve body kinematics, kinetics, and injury mechanisms for various anatomical regions.
Dr. Richardson also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia.
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