Electrical (Electrocution) Expert Witnesses

David K. Merrifield, CSP, has over 40 years of experience in Manufacturing and Manufacturing Management. A Certified Safety Professional, he has 23 years of experience in Safety Management, Risk Management, and Litigation.

Mr. Merrifield is knowledgeable in a broad range of construction, industrial and maintenance tools, machinery, and equipment. He has served as Chairman of the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) A92 main committee for Aerial Work Platforms and Chairman of ANSI Z535.6 Safety messages in collateral materials.

Litigation Support - Mr. Merrifield provides expert testimony and consultation involving Expert witness testimony concerning government and industry standards, warnings, instructions, maintenance and inspections, misuse, hazards and hazard control, duties of parties, fall protection, safety devices, product recalls, and service bulletins. His expertise is available to counsel representing both the Plaintiff and the Defense.

Areas of Expertise:

Warnings and Instructions Standards, Regulations, and Industry Practice Safe Design Process Training Maintenance and Inspections Modifications to Machinery, Equipment Misuse Hazard Analysis Hazards in the Workplace Duty of Owners, Users, Operators Fall Protection Safety Devices Product Recalls and Service Bulletins Safety Policies and Procedures Document Creation and Retention Accident Investigation

Product Safety Products Liability Construction Machinery Scissor Lifts Boom Lifts Personnel Lifts Cherry Pickers Fork Trucks Telescopic Material Handlers Skid Steer Loaders Mast Climbers ANSI Standards OSHA Industry Practice Electrocution Tip Over

View David Merrifield's Consulting Profile.

A Licensed Professional Engineer in 11 states, John Averrett specializes in electrical shock/electrocution, utilities, 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, North Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas; other states by comity. 

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 Districution

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.

Envista's experience counts when equipment, systems, structures, or data have been threatened by catastrophe or litigation. Their experts and advisors determine cause and responsibility, and identify the nature and extent of damage or loss and provide a full range of solutions to protect their assets. Envista's technical professionals are trusted advisors and industry leaders. Their expertise is broad and deep, capable of withstanding all forms of scrutiny. Envista's services are available globally so that certainty is assured no matter where in the world it is needed. As the recovery from disasters has grown more complex, Envista has developed a comprehensive array of services to help their clients and has associates located around the globe to provide assurance no matter the type of loss or location of the disaster.

Envista helps attorneys quickly get to meaningful answers on the many technical issues at the center of a dispute. Their engineers have decades of experience working with both defendants and plaintiffs. They offer effective Expert Witness Testimony, with the ability to communicate effectively, build rapport with juries and judges, and maintain adherence to structured, methodical approaches in drawing conclusions are all extremely critical. Envista Forensics understands how critical the selection of an expert can be, and we understand what makes experts effective. Their court qualified experts have extensive experience providing expert testimony on a wide variety of engineering and technical matters.

Areas of Expertise:

Aviation & Aerospace Biomechanics Construction Defects Digital Forensics Electrical Injury & Electrocutions Causation Chemical Computer / Network Equipment Failure Construction Defect Disputes over Reparability of Damage Electrical Failure Equipment Restoration Fire & Explosion Analysis Equipment Restoration

Industrial / Manufacturing Equipment Materials Failure Mechanical Accidents Mechanical Failure Medical / Laboratory Equipment Product Failure / Liability Project Management Structural Failure Subrogation Utility & Energy Valuation of Structures or Equipment Vehicle Accident Investigation Workplace / Premises Accidents

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Siegfried Guggenmoos, B.Sc.(Agr.), P.Ag., Principal of Ecological Solutions, Inc. is a Professional Agrologist, with over 30 years of experience in the electric/gas utility corridor vegetation management business.

Mr. Guggenmoos has designed, implemented and provides assessments of utility vegetation management programs. In evaluating the prudence of vegetation management programs Mr. Guggenmoos has developed methodologies to assess their efficacy by predicting the impact of vegetation management program as practiced, on the future costs and reliability of electric systems.

Areas of Consultation:

• Storm hardening electric transmission and distribution systems to quantitatively manage tree-caused service interruptions
• Advise and develop protocols for assessments of power line tree exposure and mitigation
• Advise on least cost vegetation management by synchronizing economics and ecology
• Advise on impacts of vegetation management program alternatives, modifications
• Provide context for vegetation management, greenhouse gas mitigation measures in a competitive energy market
• Facilitate for management, staff, contractors and stake holders an actionable understanding of ecological principles and their impacts on vegetation management needs and costs
• Provide project management; expert review of programs and proposals
• Develop and advise on quantification, monitoring and verification of biotic greenhouse gas mitigation measures

Dennis W. Eckstine is an expert on cranes, aerial work platforms, various types of lifting equipment, heavy duty trucks, carriers, and other similiar construction, industrial and agricultural equipment. He has held senior positions in engineering, quality, product safety and reliability for major manufacturers including representing the company at trial. 

Through his active involvement in current standards committees, his education, and his engineering and product safety experience at Grove Worldwide, Mr. Eckstine brings a solid scientific and practical background to his clients. He was previously Vice President, Senior Director of Product Safety & Reliability, and Director of Engineering Administration for different major manufacturers. He possesses a BSME and MBA. 

Mr. Eckstine started as a full time employee in the construction equipment industry in 1971 for Grove. He is currently a member of numerous committees within the organizations of ANSI (American National Standards Institute), SAE (Society of Automotive Engineering), ISO, and National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. Mr. Eckstine was the founding International Chairman of ISO TC 214 for Elevating Work Platforms. He is currently International Chairman of ISO TC 96 SC 6 for Mobile Cranes, and a Commissioner of CCO. 

Services Offered

• Expert on construction, industrial and agricultural equipment
• Evaluate Product to Promote Safe Design and Safe Use of Equipment
• Hazard Analysis, Design Review, Warnings Development, Safety and Operational Training
• Offer Guidance on Human Factors
• CIE - Certified Industrial Ergonomist
• Develop Standards for Design and Safe Use of Products
• Develop Training Materials and Perfrom Training for Operators of Lifting Equipment Including Cranes and Aerial Work Platforms
• Conduct Presentations at Seminars and Work Shops

John Hoschette, BSEE, MSEE is an Electrical Engineer and Engineering Manager with over 25 years of experience at companies such as Smiths Medical, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, Loral, Alliant Techsystems and Rockwell Collins. This has provided him exposure to the engineering methods of organizations nationwide and an acute understanding of all aspects of an engineering career.

Mr. Hoschette has managed engineering groups as large as 125 people with overall responsibility for business operations, employee salary administration, hiring, termination and career development. He has been involved in cases of employee termination for drugs, layoffs, harassment, non-performance and violation of company business ethics issues.

His primary responsibility as an engineering manager when dealing with employee issues has been to enforce company policies and procedures to ensure fair and lawful handling of employee discipline and terminations cases when necessary. This involves coordination of Human Resources and Legal Counsel to ensure company liability is minimized.

Mr. Hoschette's technical work encompasses developing the next generation mission computers for the F-35, P-3, F-16 and F-22 jet fighter aircraft and his technical expertise is Optical Data Networking. His career has covered designing, testing, and fielding of advanced electronics in areas such as: developing infrared sensors for night vision, laser sensors for weapons, helmet mounted displays and fiber channel networks.

Mr. Hoschette is also an author of two books, “Career Advancement and Survival for Engineers” and “The Engineers Career Guide." He has also been adjunct professor and instructed career development courses for engineers at Tufts University in Boston, Santa Clara University and University of Minnesota.

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Brosz & Associates are Electrical Experts headed by President and C.E.O., Professor Helmut G. Brosz, B.A.Sc., D.B.A., F.A.A.F.S., P. ENG., Adjunct Professor at Ryerson University, Adjunct Assistant Professor at University of Toronto. They provide a wide range of highly specialized Forensic Science and Engineering, Accident Reconstruction, Testing, Commissioning, and Technical and Scientific Services. 

Brosz & Associates staff of specialists and experts have completed over 5,200 assignments since 1970 ranging from electrical accidents and electrocutions to electrical power system investigation and testing of equipment failures including circuit breakers, motors, switchgear, generators, transformers and appliances. Their engineering facilities allow them to perform in-depth research, electrical testing, forensic laboratory testing, microscopy, macro photography and photographic documentation, X-Ray testing, infrared testing, high voltage testing, high current testing and more. Most of their testing equipment is portable and they are also capable of producing professional collages and scale models for reports, mediations, depositions and trial. Clients include insurance companies, legal firms, adjusters, risk managers, manufacturers, contractors, utilities, governments and individuals. 

Services Include:

• Cause and Origin Investigations
• Failure Analysis
• Loss Prevention and Mitigation
• Subrogation Support for the Insurance Industry
• Electrical Safety and Accident Prevention

Daniel J. Maple, BCMA, RCA, MA, TRAQ, is a Registered Consulting Arborist, Board Certified Master Arborist, ISA Municipal Specialist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and holds a Commercial Applicators License. As of August 2017, there are 284 RCAs, 698 BCMAs, and 884 MSs in the world. Mr. Maple has the distinction of having all of these qualifications as well as others. With over 30 years of industry experience, Mr. Maple has provided ethical, scientific sound arboriculture solutions to both the public and private sector. During this time, Mr. Maple owned and operated a tree service, and was a first responder in several natural disasters that resulted in thousands of tree failures. His investigations into the tree failures and the experience gained makes him uniquely qualified among his peers as a risk assessor and risk mitigation planner. Mr. Maple has used his years of hands on experience along with his formal education to advise states, cities, parks, developers, managers, HOAs and the private sector. Litigation Support - As an expert witness, Daniel J. Maple is well respected for his ability to document evidence, superior communication skills, forensic investigations, and pragmatism. He is articulate and knowledgeable under cross-examination. Mr. Maple's services are available to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. Areas of Expertise:

Line of Sight / Safety Issues Tree Accident Investigation / Reconstruction Tree Defect Personal Injury Plant Damage Assessment Tree Property Value Tree Appraisal Valuation of Landscape Plants

Tree Inspections and Risk Assessment Border and Boundary Line Tree Disputes Negligent or Intentional Timber Trespass Insurance Claim Investigation Lightning / Storm Damage Evaluation Tree Preservation During Construction Loss to Eminent Domain Taking

View Daniel Maple's Consulting Profile.