Chemistry: Analytical Chemistry Expert Witnesses: 10

Dr. William R. Sawyer  is a Professional Toxicologist with a doctorate in toxicology from Indiana University School of Medicine. He has over 34 years of extensive experience in Public Health and Forensic Toxicology with specialized expertise in causation analyses (plaintiff and defendant) including Alcohol toxicology, Drugs-of-Abuse, Pharmaceuticals, Herbal Products, Dioxins, Solvents, Heavy Metals, Crude Oil and other Chemicals. Dr. Sawyer has testified in trial or deposition in over 30 states including NY, MA, CT, PA, RI, NH, DE, NJ, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, AR, MO, KY, IN, IL, WI, MI, OH, MN, MT, WA, CA, TX, OK. 

As a skilled scientist and communicator in the area of toxic tort, Dr. Sawyer provides services to governmental agencies, corporations, select plaintiffs or defendants. Dr. Sawyer currently serves as Chief Toxicologist for TCAS, LLC, and served for 23 years as an Assistant Professor (adjunct) with the Department of Medicine, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York. Dr. Sawyer also has approximately 14 years experience as a licensed clinical and environmental laboratory director in several states. 

 

Lisa Myers interviews Dr. Sawyer on NBC Nightly News

TCAS Services and Expertise:

Alcohol Toxicology Analytical Testing Asbestos Toxicology Birth Defects Carcinogenesis Causation Assessments Chemical Toxicology Carbon Monoxide

Dioxin Toxicology Forensic Chemistry Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Services Mass Toxic Tort Medical Malpractice - Pharmaceuticals Petroleum Toxicology Forensic Source ID

Qualifications & Experience

• Academic Affiliations- Medical School Faculty (adjunct)
• Government Experience - Public Health Toxicologist
• Toxic Tort Causation / Determination - Defense, Plaintiff
• Experienced Clinical and Environmental Laboratory Director
• Considerable Experience with Mass Toxic Torts

View Dr. William Sawyer's Consulting Profile.

George Schiro is a DNA Technical Leader - Forensic Scientist. His duties include incorporating the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) standards, accountability for the technical operations of the lab, conducting DNA analysis using the 13 STR core loci and Y STR in casework, DNA research, forensic science training and crime scene investigation.

Mr. Schiro has worked over 3500 cases and has qualified as an expert over 175 times in 31 Louisiana parish courts, Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Texas, West Virginia, federal court, U.S. court-martial, and two Louisiana city courts. Has also consulted on cases in 29 states.

Qualified as an Expert in the Following Areas:

Latent Fingerprint Development Serology Crime Scene Investigation Forensic Science Trajectory Reconstruction Shoeprint Identification

Crime Scene Reconstruction Bloodstain Pattern Analysis DNA Analysis Fracture Match Analysis Hair Comparison Forensic Science Training

Catherine Adams Hutt, PhD, RD, CFS, has senior public and private experience as a Chief Science & Regulatory Officer in the Food Safety Industry. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Food Scientist.

With experience in the public and private sectors, Dr. Adams Hutt provides advice and guidance on a wide range of topics, including regulatory compliance, food safety, quality systems management, supply chain, health and wellness, business strategy, product development, and software solutions for management of quality and product development processes.

Dr. Adams Hutt was formerly Chief Quality, Food Safety, and Nutrition Officer for McDonald’s Corporation and led Supplier and Restaurant Food Safety teams for YUM! Brands. She was Chief Quality Officer for Coors Brewing Company, led the North America Quality team at H.J. Heinz, and developed next generation Quality programs for the Campbell Soup Company. Dr. Adams Hutt was Assistant Administrator for the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) where she led the development of HACCP as a regulatory tool. She has been an active participant in international programs, and led the U.S Delegation for the Codex Food Hygiene Committee.

Litigation Support - Catherine Adams Hutt has high-level training and senior experience in a variety of food related fields, including food manufacturing, food service, food regulations, and nutrition. Her diverse background makes her ideally suited for challenging cases where it is important or helpful to be able to integrate information from a number of different disciplines. Her professional experience is truly unique and her credentials make her unimpeachable. Most of Dr. Adams Hutt's cases are settled before going to trial on the strength of her expert opinion. She has experience with both deposition and trial, understanding the art of the exercise, and works to deliver the optimal results for her clients - plaintiff or defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

Food Safety Food Manufacturing Nutrition Foodborne Illness Food Fraud Food Forensics

Food Poisoning Food Adulteration Dietary Supplements Food Labeling Quality Management Health Claims

Texas Office 4568 Elm Bottom Circle Aubrey, TX 76227

Virginia Office 124 South Fairfax Alexandria, VA 22314

View Dr. Adams Hutt's Consulting Profile.

Peter Howell, PE, CSP, CFEI  has almost 50 years of experience in the Design, Operation, Maintenance and Management of Chemical and Petrochemical Facilities with positions such as process engineer, project engineer, maintenance foreman, technical manager, engineering manager, plant manager and vice president and general manager.

Mr. Howell has investigated approximately 125 incidents that occurred in chemical plants, refineries, pulp and paper mills and similar industries for attorneys, insurance companies and regulatory agencies. He has determined the root causes using methodologies consistent with NFPA 921, Center for Chemical Process Safety, United Steel Workers, and the National Safety Council.  The root causes determined were based on the evidence, Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices and federal regulations.

Mr. Howell has extensive experience in developing, implementing and auditing the elements of OSHA's process safety management (PSM) regulation and EPA's risk management plan (RMP). He also has extensive experience in accident and incident investigations involving fire, explosion, and release of toxic and hazardous materials.

Areas of Expertise:

OSHA Compliance Safety Performance Improvement Incident Investigation Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) OSHA PSM Regulation

EPA RMP Regulation Process Hazards Analysis Design, Operation Maintenance and Management of Chemical and Refinery Equipment and Facilities

The four PhD and registered PEs at Miller Engineering are celebrating 40 years of Professorships at three universities along with providing services to Government, Insurance, and Industry—through research, publications, presentations, and expert testimony. We have a dedicated office with a full time staff of engineers, researchers, and technical writers. The span of our collective academic and experiential expertise covers well the Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Agricultural, Industrial, Human Factors, Ergonomic and Safety fields of engineering. The areas listed below are from actual projects completed in our 40 years of history. 

Vehicles Car/Truck Accident Reconstruction Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) Visibility & Reaction Time Analysis Tires, Trailers, Brakes & Accelerators Truck/Off Road Vehicle Egress/Ingress Traffic Signing and Construction Zones Electronic Vehicles Mechanical & Electrical Safety Product Safety & Analysis Machinery - Metal, Wood, Plastic Molding Machine Guarding & Safety, Robots, Automation Hazard and Risk Analysis Employee Safety Procedures – OSHA Electrical Distribution & Transmission Hazards

Warnings & Instructions Warning Labels & User Manual Design Hazard Analysis & Product Label Designs Medical Device & Drug Warnings & Instructions Inadequate Warnings Analysis Standard Compliance (ANSI Z535) Product Recall Information & Strategies Consumers/Household Safety Appliances & Tools Child Furniture, Choking, Playgrounds Swimming Pools & Exercise Equipment Recreation - ATV, Boats, Bicycles, Boards Ladder, Stair, Step and Railing Accidents Slip, Trip, & Fall Accidents CPSC Recall Information & Strategies

Chemicals Safety & Labeling NEW OSHA HAZCOM (2012) & GHS Review MSDS, SDS and Product Label Compliance Toxic Torts - Diacetyl, Asbestos, Benzene, Lead, Carbon Monoxide Vaping & E-Cigarette Health Effects Chemical Exposures & Workplace Safety Chemical Inhalation, Ingestion, Dermal Contact Contamination - Water & Environmental Manufacturing & Process Line Accidents Slips, Trips, Falls, & Entanglements Fires & Explosions Cause & Origin Investigations Gas, Vapor, & Electrical Spontaneous Combustion Vaping & E-cigarette Battery Failures Fire Control & Explosion Issues

Agriculture Tractor & Equipment Accidents Chemical Applications & Exposures Crop Storage & Harvesting Accidents Pesticides Construction Vehicle Visibility Accidents Slip, Trip, & Fall Accidents Power Tool Repetitive & Immediate Injuries Scaffolding - Cranes - Hoisting - Fork Lifts Insurance Subrogation & Forensics Accident Investigations Electrical & Fire Causation Chemical Leakage Damage Defective Equipment Injuries Premise and Process Damages

James M. Miller, PE, PhD – Founder  Dr. Miller is an Emeritus Engineering Professor at the University of Michigan. He has directly served in Washington originating several Federal OSHA safety regulations, and interacts regularly with CPSC regarding safety and product recalls. Dr. Miller often works on projects relating to compliance with occupational safety standards, provides upper management guidance on product design, recall and liability issues, and serves as an expert witness.

Mark R. Lehto, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Lehto is a Professor of Engineering at Purdue University. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Michigan, where he specialized in Human Factors Engineering, in particular Warnings and Labeling. Dr. Lehto specializes in knowledge engineering, warnings and instructions, structuring expert systems, accident modeling, accident statistical analysis, consumer product safety, boating safety, in-field national surveys of product usage, and product information effectiveness.

David R. Clark, PE, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Clark is an Emeritus Engineering Professor at Kettering University. He was an engineering PhD graduate from the University of Michigan, where he specialized in human factors engineering and system safety analyses. He has a special expertise in electrical fire- and explosion-related accidents, and has extensive experience working for loss control companies, performing over 150 fire origin and cause investigations in the past few years.

Adam M. Olshove, PE, MSE – Engineering Manager Mr. Olshove has over 10 years of experience providing consulting services to industry and the legal profession. He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on control systems and battery modeling (2019), and a BS in Mechanical Engineering (2012), both from the University of Michigan. He has performed dozens of on-site investigations nationwide in relation to consumer product design and industrial accidents, including failure analysis and testing.

Jeffrey D. Rupp, MSE – Engineering Associate Mr. Rupp has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS in systems engineering and engineering management from Wayne State University. Among his company affiliates is 26 years with Ford Motor Company and Volvo Car Corporation, where he was involved in crash development and crash sensing calibrations.

Dr. David W. Riley is an Extrusion Analysis & Plastics Rheological Consultant. Dr. Riley has spent over nineteen years as a consultant in the field of Plastic Processing. He has over forty years of experience in developing Polymer Defect Technology and fifteen years in developing the field of Plastic and Polymer coefficient of friction related to the feed section of the extruder.

Areas of Expertise:

• Expert Witness
• Analytical Instrumentation Adaptation to Processing Equipment
• Friction Analysis
• Melt Rheology
• Extrusion Equipment: Design & Analysis of Production
• Telecommunication Cables and Insulation
• Power Cables and Testing XLDPE
• All phases of PVC Compounding & Extrusion
• Thermal Stability of Polymers
• Surface Chemistry, Metals & Polymers

John A. Williams, PhD, PE, CFEI, MBA, ASA, AIChE Fellow. 

Dr. Williams delivers Technology Assessments and Financial Valuation Analysis for business disputes involving intellectual property, trade secrets, patent infringement, licensing, royalties, capital investment, manufacturing operations expenses, ad valorem taxes, and lost profit calculations. He is an Accredited Senior Appraiser by the American Society of Appraisers, 

Practical 40 years of engineering experience in renewable and conventional energy technologies and facilities encompassing oil & gas, refining, biofuels, biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, coal, chemicals, steel, and power generation. A NAFI Certified Fire and Explosions Investigator, Dr. Williams performs forensic investigations of fires, explosions, equipment failures, and industrial accidents. 

Dr. Williams is a licensed Professional Engineer in the States of Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusettes, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Joel Coats, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Entomology and Toxicology in the Department of Entomology at Iowa State University. Specializing in Insecticide Toxicology and Environmental Toxicology, he has been on the faculty at Iowa State University since 1978 and served as Department Chairman for seven years.

Dr. Coats’ research program includes two main areas: (1) insect toxicology and (2) environmental toxicology and environmental chemistry of Agrochemicals. His research in the insect toxicology area is focused primarily on natural products as insecticides and insect repellents, including investigations of their spectrum of activity, mechanisms of action, metabolism, synthesis of biorational derivatives and analogs, quantitative structure-activity relationships.

Dr. Coats is familiar with all types of pesticides and insect repellents, including synthetic and botanical insecticides, acaricides, fumigants, and repellents; toxicity, mechanisms of action, environmental and comparative toxicology, ecological risk assessment, persistence of pesticides, movement in the environment, and residue analysis.

Litigation Support - Dr. Coats provides expert witness services to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense. He has been deposed and testified on numerous occasions. Dr. Coats offers opinions regarding pesticide cases of many types, including:

Non-target / Off-target Effects Residues Toxic Tort

Environmental Contamination Efficacy of Products Patent Infringement

Dr. Coats has received the International Award for Research in Agrochemicals from the American Chemical Society Agrochemical Division, and he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America. In October he received the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

View Dr. Coats' Consulting Profile.

Michael A. Pollock, PE, USPTO, is a Mechanical Engineer responsible for the design and engineering of commercial, industrial, manufacturing, institutional, and residential venues, as well as efforts relating to services and products used in and around these facilities. Mr. Pollock's full CV can be viewed at cogentexpert.com.

Business and industries include electronics, safety and construction, building materials, polymers and plastics, instrumentation manufacturing, petrochemicals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, colleges, athletic facilities, textiles, coatings and resins, food storage, biosciences, supermarkets, inks & pigments, automotive, facility and real estate operations, agricultural, transportation, nuclear, healthcare, nutrition, retail, distributors, pulp and paper, packaging, utilities, apparel, and R&D centers.

Litigation Support - Mr. Pollock is a subject matter expert in Commercial and Industrial Engineering Applications and Projects, as well as engineering standards and applicable codes (ASHRAE, ASME, NIST, NFPA, NBIC, ASTM, SAE, LEED, ASCE, GMP, ISA, BOCA, and EPA Regulations.) He has engaged with local, state, and governmental officials and agencies regarding numerous matters over his commensurate years of experience.

Areas of Expertise:

Investment Engineering Economics Mechanical Engineering Standard of Care Architectural Standard of Care Construction Delay Construction Defect Construction Schedule Analysis Accident Analysis Metallurgical Failure Rotating Equipment Electrical Failure Chemical Failure Processes Instrumentation and Controls

Chillers Coatings Refrigeration Thermodynamics Water Treatment Steam Systems and Boilers   Power and Utilities Energy Conservation Environmental Impact Safety HVAC Project Management Product Development

Registrations

• Professional Engineer: PA (PE075410)
• American Bar Association (ABA) – Construction Forum
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air Act Certification – Universal (includes Chillers, HVAC & Refrigeration)
• United States Patent & Trademark Office Registered (USPTO)                              

Forensic Consulting Experience

Warehouse Distribution Facility – Maryland - Evaluated a $10M (million) claim relating to purported construction defect claims by the 600,000 sq. ft. facility owner against the facility construction contractor and an original equipment manufacturer relating to installed infrastructure in the facility. Developed an expert opinion and expert report regarding the analysis of the purported defects and a proposed repair solution to correct said defects. 

 Psychiatric Hospital Facility – North Carolina – Evaluated a $28M (million) construction claim by the general contractor against a hospital facility concerning a $100M facility construction project.  Developed an expert opinion and report for general construction issues, constructability, design revisions, and corresponding delay analysis for mechanical, HVAC, electrical, smoke and fire, structural, security and building automation systems. 

Forensics Consulting Work-in-Progress 

• 2022 – International Trade Commission (ITC) Matter – Resin Manufacturing Facility Construction Delay / Completeness Analysis
• 2022 – Mechanical Systems Coatings Matter Analysis
• 2021 – Industrial Manufacturing Facility Standard of Care Matter, Construction Defect, Construction Delay     
• 2021 – Electrical Distribution System Construction Defect Matter, Standard of Care
• 2021 – Hotel Facility HVAC Materials of Construction Related Defect Matter

Dr. Charles R. Anderson has long specialized in the Characterization of Surfaces, Interfaces, Thin Films and Coatings. Since 1972 he has applied surface and near-surface analysis techniques such as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA) and Auger microprobe to the solution of surface chemistry and coating problems. 

Dr. Anderson worked for the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin Laboratories prior to starting his own laboratory in 1995. He served as an officer of the ASTM Committee E-42 on Surface Analysis and as U.S. Expert on several sub-committees of the ISO Technical Committee 201 on Surface Chemical Analysis. He especially enjoys integrating the results of multiple analytic techniques (surface analysis, thermal analysis, FTIR, SEM/EDX, optical microscopy)to solve tough materials problems.

Litigation Support -  Dr. Anderson has extensive experience in materials science as a result of solving the materials problems of many industries with the aid many analytical techniques. He is available to provide Expert Witness Services for legal matters involving Materials Failure, Intellectual Property Theft, Misrepresentation, Failure to Meet Contract Specifications, Materials Identifications and Characteristics, or Quality Issues. To ensure the accuracy and integrity of his testimony, Dr. Anderson and his staff independently analyze the relevant materials in most cases.

 View Consulting Profile.