Product Liability / Defects Consultants: 38

Mike Panish is one of the most frequently retained consultants for all construction related services and trades with specialties in Doors, Door Hardware, Security, Automatic Doors, Cabinetry & Architectural Millwork. Mike is often used in the early stages of a lawsuit or claim, or prior to a law firm’s acceptance of a case to analyze the information provided by a prospective client. He is frequently called upon by insurance companies to evaluate a claim because of his knowledge and highly diverse background. He has been a retained expert witness in over 2500 legal cases since the year 2000, and regularly consults on issues that are not involved in legal disputes.

Mike Panish is referred by attorneys that have worked with him or have been on the opposing sides to help resolve a potential claim or legal dispute prior to filing an action. Contractor fraud, dispute resolution for homeowners/contractors. Licensed in CA as a General Building Contractor, Electrical Contractor, Door, Lock & Security Equipment Contractor, Cabinet & Millwork Contractor, and Painting & Finish Specialties Contractor. 40+ years hands-on experience in all construction trades with over 2000 cases since the year 2000. Local to CA & New England. Nationwide Inspection & Testimony, all states and internationally. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Automatic Door Personal Injury, Wrongful Death Cases
• Door and Door Hardware Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Defects Cases
• Cabinetry, Architectural Millwork, Furniture Personal injury, Defects Cases
• Slip, Trip, Fall / Railings / ADA Personal Injury Cases
• General Construction (all trades) Defects Cases, Personal Injury Cases, Wrongful Death
• Premises Liability, Premises Security for Criminal Cases, Elder Abuse Cases, Wrongful Death
• Building Inspections (all types), Site Evaluation, Product Evaluation, Defect Analysis, Poor Workmanship, Costs & Estimates, Plans Analysis, Proper Installation, Claim Analysis

View Michael Panish's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. C.J. Abraham, P.E. is a Licensed Professional Safety Engineer with over thirty five years of international experience consulting to insurance companies, municipalities, government agencies, and the legal profession. He provides consultation to International corporations in the areas of New Product Development, Manufacturing, Packaging, Warnings and Instructions. 

Dr Abraham's services include Expert Witness Testimony for both Plaintiff and Defense in matters involving Personal Injury and Product Liability. 

Areas of Expertise:

Construction Accidents OSHA ADA Labor Law Human Factors Household / Industrial Products Safety Engineering

Retail Store Safety Industrial Hygiene Textiles Fires / Explosions / Flammable Fabrics Slips / Falls Recreational / Sports Accidents Toxic Exposures

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.

Aerosol Technical Solutions (ATS) offers over 35 years of Aerosol Industry experience, providing a broad range of technical services to Marketers, Manufacturers, Contract Packagers, and Suppliers in the Aerosol Industry. Clients have included  Unilever, P&G – Gillette / Clairol / Wella, Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson & Johnson, KIK Custom Products, Henkel/Dial Corporation, ConAgra Foods, Falcon Safety Products, the US Department of Defense, the Clorox Company, and Merck and more.

Consulting Services:

• Product / Package Development and Optimization - Formulations and Propellant Systems, Aerosol Packaging (valves and containers), Spray performance optimization (pattern, particle size, etc)
• Technology Training - Aerosol Technology 101, Aerosol Product and Package Development, Aerosol Quality Control Systems
• Technical Support - Aerosol Laboratory Design, Product / Package Stability Testing, Investigate and Reduce Consumer Complaints
• Aerosol Manufacturing / Contract Packaging - Screen and Identify Suitable Co-packager for Aerosol Products, Process Development and Scale-Up, Manufacturing Audit Services: Safety and Operations
• Aerosol Quality Systems - Design and Implement Product Specific QA Systems, Audit and Update Quality Assurance Systems, Process Validation

John Chadwick, Principal at ATS, is an AEROSOL TECHNICAL EXPERT with 35 years of Aerosol Industry experience. Mr. Chadwick has designed State-of-the-Art Aerosol Laboratories for Fortune 500 aerosol marketers. He's assisted multiple clients in identifying, analyzing, and resolving product development, manufacturing, and quality related problems.

Mr. Chadwick has also advised Quality Departments of contract packagers on the design and implementation of upgrades to their existing aerosol quality-assurance systems, and provided Quality Control Procedures to support the launch of new and improved aerosol products. He has invented a new technology, receiving issued and pending Patents in multiple areas of Aerosol Technology including Household Products, Hair Care, Cooking Release Sprays, VOC Reduction, and many more. 

Mr. Chadwick's broad experience includes the following types of aerosols:

• Household Products - oven cleaners, polishes, insecticides, air fresheners, dusters, etc.
• Health and Beauty Products (HAB) - hairsprays, deodorants, mousse aerosols
• Food Aerosols - PAM cooking spray, whipped cream
• Automotive Products - lubricants, solvent sprays, de-greasers, refrigerants, etc.
• Medical - foot powder, wound sprays

View John Chadwick's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Adam K. Aleksander, PhD, PE, CSP, has over 40 years of experience in the areas of Mechanical Engineering, Human Factors, and Safety Engineering. His consulting services include industrial projects related to utility and heavy industrial plant events, equipment failures, combustion, STG, chlorine, and material handling systems. Principal at ALEKSANDER & Associates and VP of an Energy Services firm, Dr. Aleksander has been a practicing engineer since 1972, focusing his Manufacturing, Consulting and Forensic investigations on Problem Definition and Root Cause Analysis of complex problems in confidential issues.

Dr. Aleksander has performed extensive research in his field of expertise. The author of numerous publications on Mechanical Engineering, Human Factors, and Safety Engineering, he has delivered lectures and presented seminars to such entities as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers.

ALEKSANDER & Associates Services Include:

Investigative Engineering Accident / Incident Investigation Accident, Loss, & Exposure Evaluations Environmental Permitting & Reclamation Product Liability Risk Management & Safety	Preventive Engineering Accident / Incident Investigations Human - Machine Interaction & Ergonomics Research & Investigations RMP & PSM Work Site Evaluation
Safety / Ergonomics Industrial Ergonomics Risk Management, PSM, Loss Control Accident, Loss, & Exposure Evaluations	Consulting Engineering Engineering Design & Analysis OSHA & Regulatory Issues Industrial Forensics

View Dr. Aleksander's Expert Witness Profile.

David Smith is an experienced mechanical engineer (MS, PE) with seven issued patents. Award-winning inventor. Vice President of Alpine Engineering and Design, a mechanical engineering consulting company with clients around the United States ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 companies. Worked on the development of multiple successful products including among other things: aerial lifts, garbage trucks, thrill rides, ziplines, trailers, oil and gas equipment, exercise equipment, manufacturing equipment, and multiple consumer products. 

Graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Completed a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in product development. Licensed professional engineer (PE) and certified safety professional in comprehensive practice (CSP). Certified trainer for boom lifts, scissor lifts, rough terrain, and counterbalanced forklifts. Over 10 years of experience in product development, patents, equipment safety, and risk assessments. 

Experienced expert witness having drafted over 200 reports/declarations in patent cases and catastrophic injury and death cases. Designed and built multiple custom testing devices to obtain data and evaluate opinions. Created multiple demonstratives to explain the mechanics and circumstances of accident sequences and patented devices. Testified in deposition 11 times and in trial once.

Expert Witness Services Professional Expert Reports Testing Forensic/Failure Analysis Accident Reconstruction Demonstratives Inspections/Measurements Compliance with Standards Expert Testimony Patent & Patent Related Issues Patent Searches Provisional Patent Complete with Illustrations Patent Infringement Review

Product Development Innovative Concept Multi-Industry Experience Powerful Design Tools Full Service Fabricating Materials Design Analysis Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electrical Structural Integrity Tests Value Analysis

ATech Designs, Inc. is a five-time award winning Product Development, Design and Consulting company. They have worked with clients in many different fields of work including the Medical Product Device Design and Development industry. The types of medical products ATech Designs, Inc. has developed include medical disposables, medical devices, laparoscopic devices, anastomotic connectors, catheters, intravenous (IV) devices, mitral valve repair devices, non-invasive surgical instruments, and knitted multi-pole pockets for RF endometrial ablation. Services Include:

Product Design and Development Machine Design Polymer Selection Detail Drafting Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Manufacturing FACTTM Molding

Product Assembly Product Testing Root Cause Analysis / Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Animal Studies Clinical Studies Expert Court Witness Design Prototyping

Karl R. Leinsing, MSME, PE, President of Atech Designs, Inc., is a Professional Mechanical Engineer who specializes in Medical Device Product Development from concept to production. Mr. Leinsing has been granted over 20 patents (needle free IV valves, laparoscopic devices, needlescopic devices, suture lockers, catheters, mitral valve repair devices, knitting machines) and excels in solving the most complicated problems and design challenges. The winner of five design awards, Mr. Leinsing is recognized as one of the top 100 medical device professionals in the nation by MD&DI. For dedication to his industry, he was made the 2014 Chairman of the Medical Device and Manufacturing Conference in Anaheim, CA. Mr. Leinsing has also been acknowledged for his work in a publication by Life Magazine.

View Karl Leinsing's Expert Witness Profile.

Michael Nranian, JD, MBA, MS has over 30 years experience focusing in Product Development, Intellectual Property, Patent Litigation, Legal and Technical Compliance, and Product Liability Litigation. He is a licensed attorney in Michigan, Texas, & the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Nranian is a Six Sigma Black Belt, Professional Engineer, & Certified Project Management Professional. He has an in-depth background and education in Law, IP, Electrical, Chemical & Computer Engineering, & Business. He has testified extensively as an expert witness in depositions, hearings, and trials in state & federal courts.

Mr. Nranian conducts Product and Technology Analysis, Patentability & Prior Art Research,and provides Technology & Litigation Support for Intellectual Property. His litigation background includes patent infringement / non-infringement under literal infringement and the doctrine of equivalents, patent validity / invalidity, prior art, & file-wrapper estoppel, for both ITC and Federal cases, including Inter Partes reviews. He conducts analysis of patents and products, prepares claim charts, & expert witness reports. This includes testimony and document preparation for cases before state, and federal court jurisdictions, and the International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Mr. Nranian is thoroughly familiar with all 101, 102, 103, 112, and other enablement and prior art arguments. His experience includes Technology Standards Boards and Licensing Authorities, Antitrust / DOJ, Technology Development and Transfer, Patents, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, and Copyrights, Licensing, Unfair Competition/Trade, False/Deceptive Advertising, & Lanham Act Actions, & Class Actions.

His Product Liability Expert Witness litigation background includes all types of Safety Systems, Electrical Systems, Fires, Accident Reconstruction, and Evaluation of Alternative Designs for Automotive, Medical and other industries. He has over 29 years of experience in Automotive Safety Systems, Sensors, Seatbelts, Airbags / Curtains, Seats, Diagnostic Systems, Crash Recorders, Crash Pulse Analysis, System Diagnostic, Fault Codes, Structure (including roof-crush and door) and front, side & roll-over systems (including sensing and algorithm development) for domestic and international corporations. He is thoroughly familiar with all regulatory (including FMVSS), and corporate due-care requirements, & preemption arguments, occupant kinematics, & injury causation.

Mr. Beringer is the Principal of Beringer & Associates (B&A) and Liability Program Management (LPM). He is an approved consultant by the A.M. Best organization, since 2006, for claims, liability, and insurance program management, including matters involving construction, OCIP, TPA, JPA, Captives, Memorandum of Coverage, and insurance coverage analysis. The Cayman Island Monetary Authority approved Mr. Beringer as a licensed captive owner in 2002 for Segregated Portfolio Company Creative Solutions, SPC.

Mr. Beringer holds an LPCS, RPA; is a founding member of CLM, a published author in various publications, and presenter at the CIMA, CPA, A.M. Best, and other conferences.

Mr. Beringer, as B&A, has provided expert services for risk analysis and management services to the insurance, reinsurance, construction, and transportation industry since 2000. Previous to the formation of B&A, he worked in the insurance industry for 30 plus years as a region Litigation Manager with Automobile Club, Industrial Indemnity, Great American, and The Hartford's Speciality Risk Service. Since B&A’s formation, Mr. Beringer assisted Reliance, AIG, Swiss Reinsurance, and Sterling Insurance for review of their insurance programs, analysis, and performance of claims systems and operations.

Mr. Beringer has participated in over 300 mediations, managed handling of over 30,000 cases in federal, state, and local venues on behalf of clients, and provided expert services to plaintiff and defense counsel.

Peter Crosby has over 45 years experience in the medical device industry. He has served as CEO of six medical device companies in four countries (public and private), and brought many products to the world market through clinical trials and regulatory approval.

Through Biomedical Business Resources LLC, he provides many services including:

• Advisory - helping clients with strategy, operations, execution, and business building\
• Mentoring, especially first time CEOs
• Expert Witness - assisting attorneys with multiple expert reports, depositions, and testimony at trial and arbitration. Cases include disputes about intellectual property , product liability, and commercial contracts
• Board Services - offering Independent Board Member services for companies, public or private, with experience in building companies, and helping management teams in times of high growth and rapid change

Mr. Crosby's product experience includes implantable devices (cochlear implants, cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, artificial heart, neurostimulation), in vitro diagnostics, imaging (ultrasound and X-ray), software, AEDs, and patient monitoring. His clinical domain experience includes ophthalmology, otolaryngology, cardiac surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, pain management, anesthesia and intensive care.

View Peter Crosby's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. is one of the highest respected consulting firms dedicated to the Packaging industry. Since 2010, it has become a globally renowned source for packaging process improvement, purchasing, manufacturing, distributing, shipment, and packaging environments. Dr. Box Consulting Inc.'s clients include Fortune 1000 corporations around the world and the Governments of the United States, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the Country of Georgia.  

Business Consulting Services:

Packaging and Business Improvement - Waste reduction, quality improvement, safety improvement, profit improvement, lean manufacturing, machine productivity improvement, overtime reduction, on-time-delivery improvement and many other business improvement areas. A global leader in Packaging Procurement results.

Packaging Design and Branding - Assess packaging lines, improve efficiency, reduce material cost, design cost-effective packaging utilizing better and more flexible designs to protect and display products.

Branding - Design packaging, proper color choice, placement and designs of logos, names of products, placement of wording on the product and packaging for cosmetics, food products, household goods and many others. 

Packaging Research - Market assessments to determine the viability of building new plants in specific areas, including economic analysis, trend analysis, assessment of potential competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, market pricing analysis, and determination of potential customers.

Randy Phares, President and CEO of Dr. Box Consulting, Inc., is a Packaging expert specializing in Corrugated and Folding Carton Packaging. He has over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in Packaging, Procurement, Shipping, Lean Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Productivity, and Business Improvement.

Since he began his career in 1990, Mr. Phares has held almost every job in packaging operations. These include manufacturing, distribution, sales, design, safety, and transportation.

Mr. Phares has served as a consultant for the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry's (TAPPI) Consulting Council. He was also the Vice Chair of the Packaging Consultants Council for the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IOPP) and President of the South Texas Manufacturer’s Association. 

Mr. Phares has spoken and keynoted National, International and Local conferences. He has been hired to do DOT Packaging HAZMAT training for paper, rigid, and flexible packaging. Mr. Phares has done leadership training, Lean Manufacturing training, sales training, machinery training, new Supervisor training, safety training, and much more.

View Randy Phares' Expert Witness Profile.

Paul Eason is a Licensed Professional Engineer, Nationally Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and Forensic Consultant. His expertise comes from a strong background in industry and academia. In addition to his consulting practice, he is a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of North Florida, and maintains a graduate faculty appointment in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Florida. 

Dr. Eason has testified in numerous trials and depositions in the following practice areas: 

Product Design & Manufacturing Analysis - Metallurgy & Materials - Fire & Explosions - Industrial Accidents 

Areas of Expertise: Product Liability and Materials Failure Analysis, Product Defect & Safety Issues including: Metals, Plastics, Glass, Ceramics, Corrosion, Fatigue, Overload & Material Selection 

Fire and Explosion Analysis including: cause and origin determination, product related fire causation, industrial process accidents, dust explosions, welding / brazing accidents

Engel Metallurgical LTD engineers and metallurgists offer laboratory testing services to determine material performance and material performance expectation. All tests are performed according to government and/or applicable industrial standards, including ASTM, military, and other specifications. Engel Metallurgical clients include attorneys, insurance company representatives and members of a broad range of industries, including chemical, agricultural, aviation, power generation, construction, transportation and manufacturing. Consulting Services:

Metallurgical Engineering Engineering Services Lab Services Materials Analysis Product & Process

Failure Analysis Turbines Generators Boilers Quality Control

Principal, Lester P. Engel, Jr., PE, is a Metallurgical Engineer with over 40 years of experience leading the company's detailed, quality-focused testing and services. He oversees the company's lab, continually adding new equipment and techniques.

Mr. Engel also has experience as the chief metallurgist for Brown Boveri Turbomachinery and as a metallurgical engineer for the Aircraft Engine Group of General Electric, where he focused on material selections for hot aircraft and marine gas turbine components. His GE career began in Nuclear Systems Programs, where his work included serving as the principal investigator on three NASA programs. Les Engel specializes in materials application, failure analysis, R & D program management, materials and process specifications, engineering standards and procedures, laboratory design and operation, data analysis and personnel, and budget management. He continues to personally perform failure analysis on aircraft and land turbines, generators, boilers, steel products, metals, cements, plastics, and other materials.

James A. Brusso, PhD, PE, has more than 20 years of experience in processing/properties of materials, materials characterization and behavior, materials specifications, mechanical testing, failure analysis, machining of materials, and laboratory design and operation. He is also Engel Metallurgical's Technical Manager and Quality Manager.

Dr. Brusso brings keen expertise to Engel Metallurgical and its clients, performing failure analysis; rendering expert opinions, giving depositions and testimony for litigation support; providing technical support for materials and process development and improvement; and developing and reviewing various product designs, materials, and process details.

Dr. Brusso has worked with Engel Metallurgical since 2000. Prior to that, he held several positions with The Timken Company in Ohio, where his responsibilities included establishing the company’s machinability testing laboratory, team leader for product development projects, managing the company's application metallurgical laboratory, and providing technical review of internal processing and testing standards to satisfy ISO 9000 / QS 9000 registration.

View Les Engel's Expert Witness Profile

• Over 35 years of experience in Mechanical / Structural Engineering & Design, Failure Analysis, Product Liability, Industural Asbestos,Pressure Vessel & Boiler analysis and evaluation of mechanical and structural components.
• Extensive trial experience. Has been involved in multi-million dollar cases. Areas involved included:

  
  

  - Piping & pipe supports - Structural failure of products - Failure analysis - Industrial asbestos - Seismic analysis - Fire protection - Pressure vessels

  - Tanks - Construction - Heat transfer analysis - Environmental qualification of equipment - Welding - Product design - Patent information

• Expertise in developing litigation rate-case exhibits and detailed supporting testimony, and in organizing case documentation into easy-to-use computer databases for trial use.

Envista Forensics is a global leader in Forensic Engineering & Recovery Solutions. They provide Cause & Origin, Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigations, Accident Reconstruction, Damage Evaluations and Equipment Restoration Services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has offered Consulting Services to the insurance, legal and risk management industries, as well as businesses, public entities, and universities for over 25 years. Their Experts travel globally from 30 offices located across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Australia and Singapore.

Insurance Industry / Claims Professionals - Envista understands the need to save money and expedite the claim, to serve the insured and reduce uncertainty. They offer a menu of services that address insurers’ needs for timely, reliable information, as well as their need to satisfy the policyholders. Envista's insurance clients include Property Adjusters, Casualty and Liability Adjusters and Examiners, Boiler & Machinery Specialists, Inland and Ocean Marine Surveyors, Subrogation and Recovery Professionals, SIU (Special Investigation Units), Forensic Accountants, and Lloyd's & London Market.

Businesses - Envista understands that buildings, equipment, data and other assets are critical to the profitable operation of any business. They are proud to offer a variety of services that help businesses protect themselves when they need it most. Envista offers specialized expertise with all types of business, especially Manufacturers, Technology Companies, Food Processing, Hospitals, Medical / Dental Care, Laboratories, R&D (Research & Design), Schools and Universities, Law, Accounting, and other Professional Service Firms, Banking, Securities, Financial, Energy, Transportation, Retail, and Broadcast and Entertainment.

Universities & Public Entities - Risk Managers and Business Officers responsible for the operations of colleges, universities, local government and other entities have the challenging role of working to prevent financial exposure following disasters involving business-critical equipment, buildings/structures, data/networks, as well as safety. Envista engineers and technicians have over a quarter century’s worth of experience providing forensic consulting for college risk professionals, as well as the insurance carriers and legal professionals who serve them.

Consulting Services:

• Equipment Damage Assessments
• Forensic Engineering / Causation Analysis
• Building & Structure Damage Assessments
• Equipment Restoration & Preservation
• Evaluation of Repair and Replacement
• Project Management of Repair and Recovery Efforts Options
• Data Recovery
• Computer Forensics
• Forensic Video Services
• Cyber Incident Analysis

View Envista's Expert Witness Profile.