Brief Introduction

Peter James Sullivan

Automotive, Truck, Motorcycle, ATV, Heavy Industrial Equipment, and Marine Industries Consultant Mechanical, Electronic, Brake, Steering, and Systems Performance Testing & Analysis

Professional Summary

• Bachelor of Science (Chemistry and Physics) from Texas State University, 1984
• World Class Certified ASE Technician, ASE Certified Master Technician in Heavy Duty Truck, Passenger Car/Light Truck, Collision Repair, and Machinist, (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence)
• 36 years of technical, academic, operational, and managerial experience in the private and commercial transportation, heavy equipment, marine, and recreational vehicle industries
• Extensive experience performing vehicle inspections and downloads of event data recorders and electronically stored information (ESI), including analysis, validation, testing, and preservation on almost all makes and models of vehicles and equipment
• Primary areas of consultation: mechanical, automotive, CMV/truck, heavy industrial equipment, motorcycle/bicycle, marine, recreational vehicle, collision repair, tire failure analysis, testing and analysis include to include fluids, materials, and component parts, railroad/Hy-Rail, FMCSA/DOT compliance, commercial motor vehicle driver/operator qualification and compliance, job site and transportation safety claims and litigation.

Company Overview

• LITIGATION AND CLAIMS INSPECTIONS
• CRASH/ELECTRONIC DATA RECORDER/ECM DOWNLOADS AND ANALYSIS FROM ALL ON-BOARD MODULES, CONTROLLERS, AND GPS/VEHICLE TRACKING UNITS
• FORENSIC TESTING AND SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS
• MOBILE MECHANICAL AND VEHICLE/EQUIPMENT DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION
• EXEMPLAR, FLUID, AND METALLURGICAL TESTING
• PRODUCT TESTING, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, AND PRODUCT DEFECT ANALYSIS
• WORLD CLASS, HIGHLY DETAILED REVIEW OF VEHICLE MAINTAINCE RECORDS AND DQ FILES
• COMMERCIAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY POLICIES & COMPLIANCE ANALYSIS
• COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER/OPERATOR QUALIFICATION & COMPLIANCE ANALYSIS

View Peter Sullivan's Expert Witness Profile.

Ralph Aronberg, P.E., has reconstructed over 1,500 accidents and has testified in over 150 jury trials, since founding the firm in 1983. He provides Expert Witness services in the areas of:

• Traffic accident reconstruction (cars, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians).
• Vehicle occupant kinematics (seatbelts)
• Biomechanics
• Traffic engineering design (geometrics, signing, markings, signals and lighting)
• Sight distance analysis
• Hazardous roadway conditions
• Work Zone Traffic Control evaluation
• Evaluation of roadway curvature
• Traffic signal operations
• Pedestrian safety
• Computerized accident reconstruction and simulation
• Vehicle "black box" data retrieval (certified>

Mr. Aronberg is published in the fields of pedestrian / bicycle / motorcycle accident reconstructions, and 3 Dimensional Animations and Scientific Visualizations through the Society of Automotive Engineers. Mr. Aronberg is a Fellow member of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, and certified as a Diplomat in forensic Engineering.

Dr. Jeffrey Buckholz is a practicing design engineer with over 40 years of experience in Traffic Engineering, Traffic Signal Timing, Signal Design and Signal Construction. He is also proficient in Pavement Marking Design, Roadway Signing, and Work Zone Traffic Control. Dr. Buckholz has authored 3 national training manuals in signal design, construction and inspection. He is a PE in 6 states: FL, GA, CA, MA, MI, OH and is a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. Dr. Buckholz has been chief engineer of his engineering company for 30 years and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Florida from 2005 through 2007. He has served as an expert witness in over 220 cases. Past Project Experience:

• Traffic Studies
• Traffic Signal and ITS Design
• Traffic Signal Timing
• Signing and Pavement Marking Design
• Work Zone Traffic Control Design

Jose J. Granda, PhD, PE, is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the California State University in Sacramento, CA. Prof. Granda is a Professional Registered Mechanical Engineer with almost 40 years of experience in the industry. He specializes in Mechatronics, the engineering of both electrical and mechanical systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering. 

A NASA Fellow, Prof. Granda served as a NASA public spokesman for 17 space shuttle missions. He received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from the University of California, Davis and the Outstanding Research Award from California State University Sacramento. Prof. Granda is Chairman of the Technical Committee on Bond Graph Modeling and Simulation and the SCS Society for Modeling and Simulation International.  He is also the Chairman of the ICBGM 2020 International Conference on Bond Graph Modeling and Simulation.  

Prof. Granda has been an International Keynote Speaker in Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico.  He is the editor of 13 books and author of 65 technical research papers.

Research and Consulting Areas:

Degrees and License: 

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Davis
• MS in Mechanical Engineering, National Polytechnic University, Ecuador
• ME in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
• PE (Professional Engineer) License in Mechanical Engineering 

View Prof. Granda's Expert Witness Profile.

Andrew W. Thomas is the founder of Collision Analytics, an ACTAR certified Motor Vehicle Crash Reconstructionist, and a licensed Illinois Private Investigator. He regularly instructs crash investigation and reconstruction courses throughout the United States and Canada for the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety.  Background Experience - Mr. Thomas has over 14 years of experience as an Illinois law enforcement officer and has attended nearly 1,000 hours of crash investigation and reconstruction training, ranging from pedestrian collisions to accessing and interpreting heavy vehicle event data recorders. Throughout his tenure, he has investigated over 200 major collisions involving all types of vehicles. Litigation Support - Mr. Thomas has worked in the public and private sector investigating numerous personal injury and fatal crashes and has been recognized by courts as an expert witness in crash reconstruction.

He currently leads a team of 7 investigators and 6 reconstructionists responsible for investigating all major crash investigations within unincorporated McHenry County, outside Chicago-land.

Since 2017, Collision Analytics has served clients as a full-service crash investigation and reconstruction company providing expert consultation, analysis, and testimony. Mr. Thomas' services are available to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant.

Serving Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and Michigan, Collision Analytics has the equipment to retrieve electronic data and the experience to assess its impact on a case. Their services also include survey and drone scene mapping, forensic vehicle examinations, courtroom exhibit preparation, and crash reconstructions including electronic, GPS, and cellular phone data.

Areas of Expertise:

Your Premier Source of Off-Highway Vehicle Education, Training, Certification & Expert Witness Services

OHV Training™ provides comprehensive, customized training to meet your agency's needs like no other currently available anywhere else in the world. Your agency and employees will reap benefits such as enhanced safety, improved morale, and increased efficiency. 

OHV Training™ offers both Recreational and Government / Corporation Track classes specializing in ATVs, snowmobiles, UTVs, Motorcycle Dirt Bikes, Dual-Sport Street Bikes, and other Off-Road Vehicles. Government / Corporation Track classes are especially appropriate for:

Founder, Bill Uhl, has over 50 years of experience with all types of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and all-terrain vehicles, from snowmobiles to UTVs, motorcycle dirt bikes and ATVs. Mr. Uhl is a Senior Instructor for OHVTraining.org, training OHV users and instructors in agencies as diverse as all branches of Military Special Forces, government agencies, Honda test riders, Quest, T-Mobile, Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipeline Company, Power Plants, and many more.

Mr. Uhl has been the co-owner, operator, and lead mechanic of a retail store selling OHVs and street bikes for 26 years. He has been sponsored by OHV companies to represent the U.S. in international competitions, winning 5 gold medals for the U.S. Mr. Uhl has been inducted into the AMA International Hall Of Fame for on and off course expertise. Racing over 150,000 miles in the most rugged terrain around the world, Mr. Uhl has been named "Enduro Rider of the Year" by Motorcycle Magazine and been honored as a "Cross Country Legend" by the AHRMA national organization. He has also been designing, constructing, and maintaining recreational trails for over 20 years.

View Bill Uhl's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Kevin A. Rider, PhD, PE, CPE of Forensic Human Factors, LLC., providing investigations and expert testimony regarding predictable human behavior, particularly as it relates to motor vehicle and pedestrian collisions, premises liability, and slips, trips and falls, the design and use of products, and adequacy of warnings/instructions. His work focuses on identifying the Human Factors Elements that lead to unfortunate incidents, and what should have been done to prevent them. 

Dr. Rider is a Licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Professional Ergonomist, and has studied human movements and behavior, and served as a human factors consultant since 1999, including five years teaching industrial engineering and occupational safety courses at West Virginia University. He has presented at professional conferences, both nationally and abroad, and his research is published and cited in a number of peer-reviewed journals. He continues to serve as a reviewer for conference and journal manuscripts. 

Dr. Rider has testified over 100 times, and excels at educating attorneys and jurors. His services are available to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Driver Behavior - Cell Phone Use and other In-Vehicle Distractions
• Product Liability - Design, Guards, Warnings, Adequacy of Instructions
• Premises Liability - Sidewalks, Shopping Centers, Community Parks, Retail Displays
• Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Visibility and Lighting - Illumination and Conspicuity of Objects
• Workplace Safety - Defective Products, Gross Negligence or Misconduct, Third Party Actions on Worksites
• Machine Guarding 

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Dr. Russell Darnell is an expert in Accident Reconstruction: Motorcycles, ATV's, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Boats, Ships, Yachts, Racetrack Design and Maintenance.

Auto • Airbag • Bicycle • Boating • Bus • Chair Design / Safety / Failure • Diving and Drowning • Electrocution and Shock • Elevator • Escalator • Fires and Explosions • Forklift • Gate • Golf Cart • Highway Design and Safety • Ladder • Law Enforcement • Lighting & Illumination • Loading Dock • Metallurgy • Motorcycle • Paintgun • Playground Safety • Press • Ramps • Rollercoaster • Safety Guards • Scaffolding • Seatbelts • Slip / Trip and Fall • Spas • Stairs • Swimming Pool Design and Safety • Tractors • Trailers • Trucks • 3D Scans

PC Squared Consultants, LLC, a Bentonville, Arkansas-based consulting firm, assists Consumer Product companies in their efforts to provide Quality and Compliant Merchandise to the world's largest retailer, Walmart Stores, Inc.

In today's environment, suppliers are faced with an increasing amount of scrutiny from both the retailers and local, state and federal regulatory agencies, such as inspections, audits, violations, recalls/product removals and fines/penalties. With an overall understanding and proven real-world experience at consumer product companies / manufacturers, a global 3rd party test lab and QA/QC service provider and the world's largest retailer (and company), PC Squared Consultants can help maximize sales and protect the best interests of your company.

General Consulting Services Include:

The company was founded by Paul Chen, formerly of the Product Safety & Compliance division at Walmart Stores, Inc., who satisfied a need in the supplier community to assist those companies struggling to meet the Walmart and Sam's Club product quality and compliance requirements. 

Mr. Chen is a Consumer Product (non-food) safety, regulatory and retail compliance, quality assurance and control, 3rd party lab testing / inspection / auditing, CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act), Federal / State / Local law compliance consultant and expert. He is on-call 24/7 and speaks Chinese fluently.

Mr. Chen has over 17 years of experience in the Consumer Products Industry, most recently for the Product Safety & Compliance division at Walmart Stores, Inc. He was responsible for managing the regulatory compliance testing and auditing programs / policies / procedures / protocols / practices for general merchandise (non-food) items offered for sale in the Walmart, Walmart.com, Sam's Club, samsclub.com, and Puerto Rico formats. This included direct import, domestic, private label, supplier and national brand items in 20+ departments/categories.

View Paul Chen's Expert Witness Profile.

Quality Forensic Engineering, LLC is a full-service forensic engineering and accident reconstruction firm, providing engineering support to clients in the areas of collision reconstruction, premises liability, and product liability.  With over 20 years of experience for each of our senior engineers, we utilize the latest technology for documenting evidence and retrieving data including FARO 3D scanning, aerial drone imaging, and black box downloads.  Our forensic engineers are mobile, supporting clients throughout the U.S. Headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida with a satellite office in Jacksonville, Florida, we look forward to serving you.

Dr. Brian Pfeifer, P.E., With over 20 years of experience investigating and testifying in cases involving a variety of forensic engineering issues, Dr. Pfeifer is a leading expert in accident reconstruction, roadside safety, maintenance of traffic, and analysis of mechanical systems, and product failures. Dr. Pfeifer has a strong background in the design, development, and implementation of roadside safety hardware including guardrails, bridge rails, and crash cushions. Over 33 patents have been filed worldwide on behalf of Dr. Pfeifer and associated colleagues who invented safer guardrail systems and terminals, vehicle storage systems, shipping container handling systems, and material handling and storage methods.  Dr. Pfeifer has published numerous papers to various organizations including the Transportation Research Board and Port Technology International, covering topics ranging from new guardrail systems, energy-absorbing guardrail terminals, and breakaway mechanisms incorporated in traffic signs to material handling technology.  Dr. Pfeifer’s expertise has been shared with many organizations such as the Florida Justice Association, Palm Beach County Justice Association, American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and Alabama Defense Lawyers Association with presentations he’s made on topics including vehicle collisions, bicycle accidents, roadway constructions zones, and accident reconstruction expert witness utilization. Dr. Pfeifer is a registered Professional Engineer in three states and stays current with learning new technology in the field of forensic engineering.  He has refined his skills and knowledge of accident reconstruction and roadside safety by taking dozens of continuing education courses over the span of his career. Expertise: Vehicle Collisions Tractor / Trailer Collisions Bicycle Accidents Pedestrian Accidents Motorcycle Accidents Occupant Kinematics Roadside Safety/Guardrails Construction Zones Black Box Analysis Product Failure Analysis Premises Liability Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) evaluation  Restraint System Analysis

Ms. Traci Campbell, P.E., CXLT, Ms. Campbell is an Industrial engineer with specialties in industrial accident reconstruction, including slip, trip, and fall analysis, human and environment interaction, forklifts, applicable standards and guidelines, and workplace-safety issues.  Her expertise also includes vehicular accident reconstruction involving automobiles, trucks, tractor-trailers, and recreational vehicles, as well as, product failure analysis. Expertise: Industrial Accidents Slip / Trip / Fall Retail Facility Safety Human and Environment Interaction OSHA Regulations ADA Regulations ANSI / ASTM / Building Codes Workplace Safety Guarding & Warnings Forklifts and Construction Equipment Theme Parks / Recreation Safety and Facilities Automobile Collisions Tractor / Trailer Collisions Bicycle Accidents Motorcycle Accidents Pedestrian Accidents Occupant Kinematics Airbag and Black Box Analysis Product Design / Failure Analysis General Engineering

Mr. Chris Yates, P.E., Mr. Chris Yates, P.E., is a Mechanical Engineer with specialties in accident reconstruction, including electronic module downloads for both automobile airbag modules and tractor-trailer electronic control modules.  His expertise includes auto accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and other roadway accidents.  His expertise also includes seat belts, occupant kinematics, product failure analysis, and other general engineering issues. Expertise: Automobile Accidents Tractor / Trailer Accidents Bicycle Accidents Pedestrian Accidents Airbag and Automobile Black Box Analysis ECM and Tractor-trailer Black Box Analysis Occupant Kinematics Roadway Safety Product Design / Failure Analysis >General Engineering