Automotive / Vehicular Safety & Accident Prevention Expert Witnesses: 17

Kirk D. Kleckner, CPA, MBA, ABV, ASA, CFF is the Managing Principal of ValuationUSA, a boutique Valuation / Litigation Support firm. He is also the current President of Automotive Group Capital and Consulting, LLC - a ten person business specializing in the dealership industry.

Mr. Kleckner is a CPA, MBA and is professionally accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is also a Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and Certified in Financial Forensics from the AICPA (CFF). Mr. Kleckner is a Qualified Expert Witness with experience in complex business litigation.

Mr. Kleckner's experience includes seven years as Chief Financial Officer for a well respected top 50 dealership group. He spent nineteen years with an accounting firm as its Chief Operating Officer, Director of Business Valuation and Litigation Support Services and Shareholder.

Mr. Kleckner's expertise leverages both his professional and hands-on industry experience. His practical experience includes buying, selling and integrating of businesses and organization and owner tax planning.

Mr. Kleckner has experience as an expert witness in various legal actions including class action settlement valuation, ownership dispute valuation and business damage calculations.

Areas of Expertise:

Business Valuation

Litigation Economic Loss / Damage Analysis and Independent Opinions, Expert Witness

Product Warranty and Class Action Settlement Valuation

Dealership - Valuation, Profitability and Practices

Business Interruption, Minority Interests and Fair Value, Ownership Disputes

Estate and Gift Valuation

Succession and Business Owner Wealth Transfer Planning

Acquisition / Merger Advisory

Mining Interest Valuation

Catherine Witt specializes in Temporary Traffic Patterns during construction operations, maintenance operations, utility operations, and special events. Any time the motorist traffic pattern is changed there are specific requirements. Ms. Witt and her team are familiar with the requirements on a national level, in all 50 states, the state specific requirements and job site specific based on contracts.

Experience: Ms. Witt and her team have a total over 100 years experience in the Traffic Safety Industry. She has trained over 20,000 construction, maintenance, utility and law enforcement workers in the requirements nation wide and started out doing installation over 25 years ago. Ms. Witt then worked for the City of Overland Park, KS doing design, plan review, special events and in house training.

Catherine Witt provides litigation consulting and expert witness services for legal cases involving fatalities, catastrophic injuries, personal injuries, and workplace safety. She has expertise in Work zone safety and OSHA regulations for construction, utilities, special events, emergency response and maintenance. Ms. Witt's expert witness services are available to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

Roadway Worker Safety Temporary Traffic Control Flagger Operations Mobile Operations Installation and Removal High Visibility Safety Apparel Adequate Signing Adequate Channelization

Appropriate Tapers Traffic Safety Compliance with Plans and Standards Compliance with Jurisdictional Requirements Special Events Emergency Response Multi Jurisdictional / Multi Employers P3

View Catherine Witt's Consulting Profile.

David G. Curry, PhD, CHFP, CSP, is part of Solution Engineering Group, which has experts representing a wide variety of engineering and scientific disciplines. Each has the ability to work as a team, matching your needs with the right Expert. Dr. Curry consults on all aspects of Human Factors, Applied Human Performance, Ergonomics, and Safety. He has over 30 years of experience working in accident investigation, product design and development, operational testing and analysis, and both laboratory and field research in the control / display, aviation, and surface vehicle arenas. 

Dr. Curry holds graduate degrees in Experimental, Human Factors, and Cognitive/ Perceptual Psychology, Industrial Engineering, and Business. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force Reserve, where he worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory in the area of display technologies, aircrew training, and pilot-vehicle interfaces. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Curry is recognized as an expert in operator-vehicle interaction and is both a Certified Human Factors Professional and Certified Safety Professional. He holds several patents and has or does serve as a member of national standards-making committees for a variety of organizations (e.g., ANSI, ASTM, and SAE.) Dr. Curry has provided expert testimony in both State and Federal courts. 

Areas of Particular Expertise:

• Human / Machine Interface Design and Evaluation
• Human Capabilities and Limitations in Applied Environments
• Industrial Ergonomics
• Instructions and Warnings
• Perception / Vision / Visibility
• Slips / Trips / Falls
• Evaluation of Equipment / Facilities / Structures from a Human Use Standpoint
• Safety-related Issues in General

View Solution Engineering Group's Consulting Profile.

Scott L. Turner is a highly qualified Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Transportation Expert, FMCSR Regulatory and PHMSA-HMR Expert with approximately 30-years experience in the highly specialized field of CMV crashes and incidents, and 16 years as the CEO of a nationwide CMV crash & HazMat disaster response corporation. 

Mr. Turner's career includes personal response and/or investigation of over 1,000 CMV crashes, 200 cargo-tank truck crashes/incidents and a multitude of industrial setting incidents including fixed facilities, loading docks and loading rack disasters. His FMCSR and PHMSA knowledge (Federal Enforcement Training), detailed reporting and testimony can be a focal point of any civil litigation, where commercial motor vehicle crashes and/or transit incidents are at issue, with or without hazmat involvement. Mr. Turner is qualified in both the Federal Court system as well as multiple States throughout the United States and testifies on an approximate 50/50 average of Defense to Plaintiff ratio.

Areas of Expertise:

• Level 1 FMCSA Inspections
• Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Post-Crash Inspection
• CMV Post-Crash Investigation
• Driver Qualifications
• HOS / Fatigue Driving
• Motor Carrier Fitness Standards
• Safety Programs
• Trucking Industry Standards
• Cargo-Tank Truck Incidents / Crashes
• CMV loading/Off-loading Cases (van, cargo-tank, flatbed)
• Flatbed, Cargo Securement Failure
• Loading Dock Incidents w/ CMV
• Forklift Incidents w/ CMV
• CMV Crash Involving Hazmats
• Loading Rack Explosions / Disasters
• Pedestrian v. CMV Incidents

Services Include:

• Litigation Support
• Trial Preparation Consulting
• Courtroom Testimony
• Commerical Vehicle Accident Investigations
• CMV, Highway Construction Zone Crashes
• CMV Loading and Offloading Investigation
• Level 1 FMCSA Audits
• Load Securement Incidents

Christina Comisarek has over 40 years of experience in and around the Transportation industry, 25 of which have been spent driving over 2 million miles accident free. She is a Certified Director of Safety, Certified Driver Trainer, and has managed a small trucking business for over 10 years. Ms. Comisarek serves as a Transportation Consultant, Driver Safety Trainer, and Expert Witness.

Background: Ms. Comisarek gained first-hand experience, good business sense, and a strong, solid work ethic working for her family's two businesses. Over the years, she's had a variety of roles in the transportation industry, such as loading and unloading, local deliveries, linehaul, school bus driving, driver / safety training, and managing a small trucking company. Ms. Comisarek continues to drive part-time to stay current in the industry. She takes every opportunity to enhance her skills and background, either through first-hand experience or by attending courses such as Accident Investigation.

As a Consultant, Ms. Comisarek assists trucking companies in areas such as streamlining their operations, risk management situations, driver recruitment and retention, and Employee handbooks. Her Safety Training is done either in the classroom or on-site currently, and soon will be offered online.

As an Expert Witness, Ms. Comisarek has worked with top expert witness firms and is pleased to currently be working with NECSC, LLC, providing sound consultation to attorneys through report writing, depositions, and successful trial appearance.

Areas of Expertise:

Driver Safety Driver Training Driver Behavior Truck Accident Investigation Loading / Unloading Physical Distribution Management Shipping and Dock Operations Regulatory Compliance

Transportation Economics Dump Truck Operations Independent Contractor and Broker Operations Motor Carrier Standards of Care Driver Standards of Care Warehousing and Distribution Management Hazardous Materials Transportation Freight Loss / Damage Prevention

Awards / Honors:

• Over 2.0 million miles Accident-Free Driving – all consecutive years at Consolidated Freightways and FedEx
• Colleague nominated candidate for American Trucking Association’s 2002 – 2004 America’s Road Team
• Clean CDL Class A with Doubles/Triples, Hazmat (past), Tanker, Passenger & School Bus Endorsements
• Triples Certification [expired] in Ohio and Indiana Tandem (long doubles) Certification [expired] in NY

Mukul K. Verma, PhD (University of Michigan) brings more than 35 years of engineering & R&D experience to his consulting practice in the areas of vehicle engineering, automotive safety and mechatronics systems design. His experience includes multiple asignments in automobiles’ design and testing at one of the largest vehicle manufacturers the USA. In addition, he has significant R&D experience which led to several advances in automotive engineerin. These include areas such as automatic crash notification systems for post-crash protection, vehicles designs & pedestrians’ safety, airbag & passive protection systems design, motorcycle dynamics, heavy truck rollovers, etc. Also in his role as technical expert, he led international industry-wide teams of experts to successfully develop engineering solutions to urgent problems in traffic safety. 

As a consultant, he has worked with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency on future lighter vehicle designs and their occupants' protection in traffic accidents. He has also provided consultation to overseas government organization and research agency on electric vehicles' functional issues and traffic safety, as well as on test facilities.

Dr Verma has also taught several graduate-level and professional courses at universities in Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering, Intelligent vehicle systems, Structural dynamics analysis and Vehicle Design Integration. He has published more than thirty papers in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences and has been active in professional organizations as invited speaker, session chairman and organizer. He is well-known for his expertise in Vehicle Engineering and Traffic Safety and his interviews and opinions have appeared in US and in international media on several occasions 

Litigation Support – Dr. Verma’s recent litigation-related work has been in two fields-

(a) Product Liability cases related to the performance of automobiles and components in accidents in the area; and (b) Intellectual Property claims related to mechatronics systems in automobiles and the validity / infringement of patents.

 View Dr. Verma's Consulting Profile.

Lewis Grill is a Trucking Expert with over 45 years and millions of miles of experience as a truck driver, owner operator, truck driver training instructor, truck driver training program director, safety director. Mr. Grill is currently licensed and certified as a commercial driver for tractor-trailer with endorsements for hazardous materials, tank truck, double and triple trailers, passenger carriage, and school buses. He is certified for air brake inspection and repair, operations of Longer Combination Vehicles (LCVs), and as a Pilot / Escort Driver.

Lew Grill has testified as a trucking expert witness in litigation matters for law firms, trucking fleets, trucking insurance companies, and truck driving schools in Federal and State courts across the nation. His litigation support services involve the Safe Operation of Commercial Motor Vehicles and the Standard of Care of truck drivers and motor carriers.

Areas of Expertise:

• Truck Accident Investigation
• Advanced Accident Reconstruction
• Human Factors Analysis
• Heavy Truck Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
• Pedestrian Motor Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
• Vehicle Dynamics

View Lewis Grill's Consulting Profile.

Traffic Engineer Expert Witness / Motor Vehicle Accidents

Kunzman Associates is a Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering consulting firm providing professional expertise to both the public and private sectors.  Additionally, Noise and Air Quality / Greenhouse Gases analyses are available on a seamless integrated basis with the traffic analysis.

Since it's founding over 40 years ago in 1976, the firm's goal has been to provide the best traffic and transportation engineering (and related services) available through highly qualified personnel. 

Education:

• Undergraduate - UCLA (1967)
• Graduate - Yale University (1968) 

Areas of Expertise:

• Traffic accidents - maintenance, design, geometrics, controls, signage, sight distance, parking, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrians, governmental agency procedures
• Over 300 cases since 1979
• largest verdict $12.3 million against caltrans pedestrian case
• Largest settlement $2,000,000 in solo vehicle accident case against Caltrans 

Former Employment:

• Los Angeles County Road Department
• Riverside County Road Department
• City of Irvine
• Federal Highway Administration

The experts at Miller Engineering are Ann Arbor-based professional engineers celebrating 30 years of service to University, Government, Insurance, and Industry through research, publications, presentations, and testimony. Miller Engineering has a staff of engineers and experts in the Mechanical, Chemical, Agriculture, Industrial, and Human Factors fields of engineering with specific knowledge in the following areas: 

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 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

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

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 Professor at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and a registered professional engineer and consultant with over 30 years of experience as an expert witness. He has served as a consultant to industry and government and is highly qualified to give engineering testimony. Dr. Miller specializes in warnings, labeling and instruction manuals, consumer product design, machine guarding, process safety, fire science, vehicle visibility, tractor egress/ingress, pedestrian and worker slip and fall prevention, recreational vehicles (ATVs, boats, and personal watercraft), compliance with occupational safety and consumer safety standards (OSHA, MSDS, CPSC, ANSI, ASTM, UL, etc.).

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 in 1985, where he specialized in Human Factors Engineering, in particular Warnings and Labeling. He has taught courses at Purdue in human and safety factors areas, as well as decision making and artificial intelligence. He has authored numerous professionally-reviewed articles, and he has authored / coauthored internationally-recognized textbooks in the areas of human factors and ergonomics. 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 Ph.D. graduate from the University of Michigan, where he specialized in human factors engineering and system safety analyses. In particular, his earlier degrees in mechanical and electrical areas have given him a special expertise in electrical fire- and explosion-related accidents. Dr. Clark is also published on the topics of warnings and labeling. With considerable in-plant experience at General Motors, he is uniquely qualified to provide student theses and design projects while teaching at Kettering that deal with many types of mechanical and optimization projects. Finally, he has extensive experience working for loss control companies, performing over 150 fire origin and cause investigations in the past few years.

Areas of Expertise:

Accident Reconstruction Biomechanics Human Factors Safety Accident Prevention Adequacy of Warnings Building Codes Coefficient of Friction Construction Defect 3D Scans Failure Analysis

Industrial / Recreational / Structural OSHA Compliance Premises Liability Product Integrity / Testing Computer Animation and stimulations Defense and Plaintiff Cases Civil & Criminal Educational Seminars Litigation and Non-litigation Mediation / Arbitration Services Court Testimony over 2000 x's

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

Ernest P. Chiodo, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., M.S., C.I.H. is a physician, attorney, Certified Industrial Hygienist (C.I.H), and biomedical engineer. Dr. Chiodo is board certified in the specialties of Internal Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. Dr. Chiodo served as the Medical Director of the City of Detroit and was the chief physician in charge of measures designed to protect the public health of over one million persons. He has also been the lead expert witness in a number of high profile cases including serving as the lead expert witness in a mass toxic tort case for Gerry Spence.

Areas of Expertise:

Toxicology

Epidemiology

Industrial Hygiene

Mold

Asbestos

Benzene

Biomedical Engineering

Accident Reconstruction

Electrocution

Building Related Disease

Biomechanics

Bed Bugs

Donald L. Hess, President of DLH Associates, Inc., has been providing expert witness services to attorneys and other clients, including Analysis of Vehicle Crashes since 1997. His specialty is crashes involving Commercial Motor Vehicles, including trucks, tractor-trailers, and buses.

With well over two million miles of safe cross-country trucking experience, followed by over 20 years as a driver trainer and creator / administrator of commercial driving programs, Mr. Hess is well-qualified to provide analysis of what drivers are trained to do in specific situations and circumstances, what federal and state regulations call for and require, and all aspects of the safe and proper operation of commercial motor vehicles. As a motorcyclist with over 45 years of riding and training experience, he is also qualified to comment on accidents involving motorcycles.

Mr. Hess has been nationally-recognized as a leader in safety and training issues, is a winner of the American Trucking Associations Million Mile Driving award, and was a winner of the Truckload Carriers Association Lee Crittenden award. Over his long and successful career in trucking and education, he has held numerous national board and officer positions in trucking and education.

Litigation Support - Mr. Hess is uniquely qualified to analyze and comment on driver behavior in virtually any situation, and has established a solid reputation as an expert witness in crashes involving trucks and commercial vehicles for both Plaintiff and Defense in about 300 hundred cases across the country since 1997. His experience includes significant deposition and trial testimony.

He possesses a unique combination of training, hands-on experience, and education that combine to position him as a leading expert in all facets of trucking. Mr. Hess still maintains a valid, current Commercial Driver License fully endorsed for Combination Vehicles, Doubles-Triples, Tankers, Hazardous Materials, Motorcycles, and Buses. He also holds a USDOT Medical Exam Certificate and CDL and medical maintained without interruption or fault since 1971.

Areas of Expertise:

Commercial Drivers Training Truck Driver Training Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation Commercial Driver Theory Commercial Driver Backing City Driving

Highway Driving Live Skid Pad Emergency Driving Skills Warehouse Issues Dock Issues Forklifts

Dean Tekell Consulting provides expertise in the areas of Traffic Engineering, Parking, Public Transit, Vehicle Dynamics, Accident Reconstruction, and Technical Accident Investigation.

Often, government agencies, consulting engineers, architects, developers, business institutions, and attorneys must know how to move people and their goods safely and efficiently. The firm offers advice on site selection, traffic access, and traffic circulation on the site. The firm provides insight into potential problems with zoning and subdivision regulations. Traffic impact studies, traffic signal warrant analysis, traffic signal design and permitting services related to development activity are also available through the firm. Parking garage and parking lot operations are specialties offered to business institutions.

Other services include: Queuing Studies for drive-through services; Traffic Calming and neighborhood speed control; School trip and pedestrian safety plans; Traffic Accident Reduction and highway safety techniques; Transit Funding Operation; Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems.

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:

Collision Investigation & Reconstruction Bicycles Pedestrians Motorcycles Passenger Vehicles / Light Trucks Commercial Vehicles Off-road Vehicles Farm Vehicles Trains GPS

Drone Scene Mapping Cellular Phone Data Fraud Investigation Crash Data (Black Box) Retrieval Forensic Mapping Seat Belt Examination Tire Failure Analysis Commercial Vehicle Braking Systems Photogrammetry Video Analysis

Barry L. Bookman has approximately 28 years of experience in the Automotive Industry. Working in car dealerships, he started as an apprentice service technician and worked his way up to service Adviser, Service Manager, and Service and Parts Director. Certified as a Journey Level Technician, Mr. Bookman is an ASE Master Technician / Nissan Motors Master Technician. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Bookman currently offers services as a consultant and expert witness to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include thorough reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Automotive Mechanical Repairs / Maintenance Shop and Labor Practices Regulatory Compliance including OSHA Auto Shop Standards of Care Auto Shop Employee / Employment Issues Auto Technician Training Shop Policies & Procedures

Shop Solvents & Chemicals Automotive Electronics Automotive Failure Analysis Hazardous Materials Machine Guarding Power Tools Customer Relations