Electrical Electrocutions and Shocks Expert Witnesses: 4

Thomas H. Burtness, PE, is an Electrical Engineer specializing in both Electrical and Building Construction - equipment selection, specification, and installation (actually “working with the tools”), as well as cost control techniques.

Background - Mr. Burtness has 40+ years of experience in the design, specification, construction contract administration, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of electrical power, on-site generation, distribution, control, and instrumentation systems and equipment for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal occupancies. His experience also includes water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment plants, and military facilities.

Additional expertise includes Illumination Engineering for street, roadway, and area lighting including photometric footcandle requirements, calculations, field verification, equipment specifications, installation, and analysis of failure, glare, overlighting and underlighting.

Litigation Support - Since, 1981, Mr. Burtness has been providing forensic electrical engineering services to insurance companies and attorneys including accident and failure investigations, determination of cause and origin, litigation support, expert opinions, reports, and testimony. His services are available nationwide, with PE registration by comity available in most states.

Cases Involve:

Industrial Accidents Electrocution Personal Injury Fire Equipment and Machinery Failure

Failure of Safety Circuitry Grounding Lightning Damage and Fire Construction Defects / Contract Claims Design and Specification Disputes

View Thomas Burtness' Consulting Profile.

Joe Scerbo is a distinguished expert witness, construction consultant, and construction management advisor with over 36 years of experience in the construction industry. As a licensed General, Electrical, and HVAC Contractor in California for 25 years, Mr. Scerbo has cultivated specialized expertise in Building Envelope, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems. His extensive background includes significant experience in mechanical systems, heating & cooling systems, ventilation, solar energy systems, battery energy storage systems (BESS), generators, and design-build projects.

Litigation Support - Mr. Scerbo and his team at Danliv provide comprehensive forensic consulting and litigation support services for all things related to Construction Defects, Standard of Care Issues, Non-conforming of Contractors Licensing Laws, and Cost of Repairs. Serving defense and plaintiff attorneys, insurance companies, and government agencies across the United States. Mr. Scerbo has been disclosed as a designated expert on numerous cases and consulted on over thirty cases for advice as well as field investigations, document evidence evaluation, and material findings. 

Areas of Expertise:

General Construction Framing Building Envelope Mechanical Electrical Commercial Residential HVAC Fire Sprinkler Generators

MEP Solar Fire Gas Hybrid Water Heaters Contract Scope Cost to Repair Industrial Controls Electrocutions Plumbing

Mr. Scerbo brings extensive expertise across multiple sectors, including single-family, multifamily, hospitality, commercial construction, renewable energy, and utility-scale infrastructure projects. Well-versed in framing, flashing, metal and composite roofing, concrete, exterior cladding systems such as Portland Cement Stucco, underground construction, MEP issues and opines on standard of care for contractors, construction managers, inspection companies and specialty sub-contractor services. He has hired and supervised engineering and design teams for Design-Build projects and Construction Defect cases, ensuring precision and compliance.

A Licensed Professional Engineer in 21 states, John Averrett specializes in Electrical Shock / Electrocution, Utilities, Arc Flash, Lightning Strikes, and Grounding cases involving death, personal injury, industrial equipment failure, vehicular accidents, fire cause/origin, contract, and construction disputes. 

Areas of practice include: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri, West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Maryland, Kansas, Delaware, and Wisconsin; other states by comity as needed through NCEES.

John Averrett is Executive Vice President of Goodwyn Mills & Cawood headquartered in Montgomery, AL. He has more than 25 years experience in plan development for governmental, municipal, industrial and commercial clients and is currently coordinating a group of twelve other electrical engineers and designers. In addition to his design efforts, Mr. Averrett's experience includes work with electric utilities that includes transmission, sub-stations, and distribution; work with investigating lightning strikes; work with investigating grounding insufficiencies; and work analyzing and providing solutions for arc flash hazards.

Litigation Support - Mr. Averrett offers expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. He provides site review, thorough reporting, deposition, and trial testimony as needed nationwide.

Electrical Engineering Electrocution Lightning Lightning Protection Arc Flash Electrical Safety

Building Analysis Grounding Shock Electric Shock Drowning Breaker Coordination Electrical Utility Distribution

Henry W. Stormer, IAAI-CFI(V), CFPS, is the President / National Manager for VERTEX FIRE INVESTIGATIONS LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The VERTEX COMPANIES LLC. His responsibilities include management of a forensic fire investigation team conducting Fire Origin and Cause Investigations nationwide for the insurance industry.

Mr. Stormer has over 37 years of experience investigating in excess of 2,300 fires and explosions both in the public (25 years) and private sectors (12 years). He is a Certified Fire Investigator through the IAAI and a Certified Public Fire and Life Safety Instructor, with both certifications recognized by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications. He is also a Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the NFPA.

Litigation Support - Mr. Stormer has served as an expert witness and is actively engaged in several legal cases related to property damage, product liability, personal injury, and criminal activity. Mr. Stormer's legal support activities have included depositions, interrogatories, mediation, arbitration, and trial testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

Fire Origin and Cause Explosions Incendiary Fires Product Liability Household Appliances / Hood Systems / Dryers Photovoltaic Arrays and Battery Storage Systems Large and Complex Fire Scenes

Vehicle Fire Investigations Subrogation Failure Analysis Evidence Collection and Preservation Fire Code Analysis and Research Crime Scene Investigations Arson Investigations

Mr. Stormer is currently licensed as a Private Investigator, Manager in: AL, CT, DE, FL, IN, KY, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, SC, TX, VT, WV with reciprocal licensing in: AL, CA, GA, LA, NC, TN and VA.