Fire - Explosions (General) Expert Witnesses: 26

Rapperport Associates, Inc., provides exceptional capability in Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigation, Accident Reconstruction, Structural Analysis, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials Science. We have provided superior technical support for litigation since 1974, and possess an extraordinarily talented technical team with impeccable academic and industrial credentials and proven analysis capability. Our team of distinguished scientists and engineers is drawn principally from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and Stanford University. 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

Engineering

• Mechanical
• Structural / Civil
• Metallurgy
• Materials Science
• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Electrical

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:

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.

Dale Wheeler is licensed in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering, and is certified in Basic Code Enforcement / Building Inspection by the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA). He is published on fire safety in Atrium Buildings and in Exhibition Halls. Mr. Wheeler's Areas of Expertise include:

• Fire Protection System Design, installation and operation:
  - Fire detection
  - Smoke detection
  - Fire alarm
  - Central Station
  - Sprinkler systems
  - Fire suppression systems
  - Smoke control
• Fire and Smoke Barriers
• Building Code, Life Safety Code, and Fire Code Compliance
• Fire Hazard, Building Materials, Fire Resistance Ratings
• Fire Cause and Origin
• Arson
• Means of egress, egress signage, emergency lighting
• Forensic Fire and Fire Systems Investigation

Quality Forensic Engineering, LLC is a full-service forensic engineering firm, providing engineering support to clients in the areas of accident reconstruction, biomechanics, fire investigations, patent litigation analysis, premises liability, product liability, and tire failure analysis. We use the latest technology and industry proven techniques to provide thorough analysis and conclusions for the most difficult engineering questions. Our forensic engineers support clients throughout the U.S. Our locations include Tallahassee, FL; Jacksonville, FL; Tampa, FL; New Orleans, LA; San Diego, CA; and Tucson, AZ.

Traci K. Campbell, PE, CXLT, has over 22 years of experience investigating, analyzing, and testifying in matters involving a variety of forensic engineering issues. Ms. Campbell has a strong background working in manufacturing and industrial workplaces including the design, development, and implementation of solutions to ensure safe work environments. She has also been credited as part of a team holding a patent related to safeguarding power hand tools with rotating discs. 

Ms. Campbell's special interests include amusement park and theme park accidents and safety related issues. She is also a CXLT - Certified XL Tribometrist (slip index evaluation) and a certified counter balance forklift operator. Ms. Campbell has served as a presenter with the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) regarding slip, trip, stumble, and fall incidents. She has shared her engineering expertise with many organizations on topics including: slip, trip, stumble, and fall incidents; electronic data in the realm of accident reconstruction; safety engineering and the engineering hierarchy; photogrammetry and other accident reconstruction techniques; OSHA compliance; and Industrial Engineering. 

Ms. Campbell is a registered and licensed Professional Engineer in five states and she continues to refine her skills and knowledge of premises liability and safety engineering by staying current with new technology and best practices.

See Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

Brian A. Darr, P.E. IAAI-FIT(V), CFEI, has over 25 years of engineering experience which includes Tire Failure analysis on many types of tires (passenger, light truck, radial medium truck, retreads, motorcycle, etc.), Vehicle and Residential Fire Origin and Cause investigations, vehicle accident reconstruction for passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, vehicle component failure analysis, and insurance fraud/consistency evaluations. He also conducts crash data retrieval (CDR) downloads for passenger vehicles and engine control module (ECM) downloads for commercial vehicles. Mr. Darr evaluates traffic signal timing relating to intersection collisions. He provides services in product and material failure analysis, cause analysis of plumbing failures, mechanical equipment and machinery failures, lightning strike investigations, nondestructive examinations and testing, product design and assessment of conformance to government, corporate, industry, safety, and international standards.

Mr. Darr has over 25 years of extensive experience with tires including design, development, manufacturing, quality investigation, race tire preparation, and testing of tires at numerous testing facilities. He worked in a tire manufacturing facility as a plant technical engineer where he investigated quality related issues, and in a Research & Development (R & D) center where he designed, developed, tested, and analyzed tires. Mr. Darr has visited numerous tire production plants such as Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin, and Continental tire. He has inherent knowledge of the PAX run-flat tire system and C3M manufacturing process. He also was responsible for verifying standards and regulations were met, related to tire product and tire pressure monitoring sensors.

Mr. Darr has been qualified as a tire expert in State and Federal court. He has completed forensic tire failure analysis on many types of tires in which he referenced hundreds of publicly available tire related documents. He reviews forensic tire reports from outlying offices along with providing marketing support and giving seminars nationwide. He has conducted numerous vehicle and residential fire origin and cause investigations with various findings including fires that were intentionally set, accidental, and electrical in nature. He has also conducted fire suppression system investigations. 

Mr. Darr holds multiple fire certifications and designations with the International Association of Arson Investigators and the National Association of Fire Investigators. 

See Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

View Quality Forensic Engineering's Accident Reconstruction Biomechanics Engineering Expert Witness Profile.

Martyn C. Thake is an expert specializing in Motorsports, Motorsport Special Events, and Motorsport TV Production Set Safety. With more than 40 years of comprehensive experience, he has worked on more than 100 facilities around the world.

Litigation Support - As an experienced expert witness, Martyn has performed hundreds of operational reviews, track inspections, designs and redesigns for CART / Champcar, IMSA, ALMS, FIA, IRL and SCCA, as well as insurance companies and independent clients from around the world. He has advised and testified for both plaintiff and defendant in the areas of:

Background Experience - Encompassing all areas of: facility design, operation and management, racetrack design, construction management, event promotion, event management, operations and logistics management, sanctioning body track inspection, insurance inspection, risk management inspection, risk assessment, safety plan design and implementation, event management planning and implementation, race car design and manufacture, performance driving instruction and emergency service dispatch.

More than 100 different motorsports and entertainment facilities (including drag strips, dirt ovals, paved ovals, go-kart tracks, motor-cross tracks, permanent road courses, 30+ temporary street races, temporary events, and TV shows) around the world have benefited from his input on their operations procedures and facility/track design, redesign, and inspection. 

As an FIA track inspector, Martyn currently serve as the backup inspector for FIA-licensed tracks (Grade 2 or higher). He is an instructor for the SCCA’s Track Reviewer program and a motorsports submission reviewer for the NFPA.

Martyn was a founding board member of the Motorsports Safety Foundation. MSF is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving safety standards in all forms of motorsport. As Director of Circuit Development for CART and Champcar (2001-2006), he was responsible for the operational readiness of the racetrack and operational television production for all the tracks the series raced on. 

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:

Florida Office:
Andrew Avalon, PE, PSP
Chairman & CEO
8633 Willow Kane Court
Orlando, FL 32835
aavalon@long-intl.com
T: (407) 445-0825     F: (407) 650-3399

Long International provides expert engineering and construction claims analysis, expert testimony, project management consulting, and insurance claims analysis services. We focus on projects in the following industries: building and construction; gas, gasification, GTL, LNG, and NGL; industrial and manufacturing; mineral and mineral processing; offshore oil and gas; oil sands; pipelines and utilities; power; refineries, petrochemical, and chemical; transportation; and water, wastewater, dams, and marine. We analyze claims, not limited to, disputed change orders, schedule delay, acceleration, time extensions, liquidated damages, loss of productivity, defective specifications, and deficient project management performance.

Richard J. Long, P.E., P.Eng., Founder of Long International, has over 50 years of U.S. and international consulting experience involving construction contract disputes analysis and resolution, arbitration/litigation support and expert testimony, project management, engineering/construction management, cost and schedule control, and process engineering. As an internationally recognized expert in the analysis and resolution of complex construction disputes for over 35 years, Mr. Long has served as the lead expert on over 300 projects having claims ranging in size from US$100,000 to over US$2 billion. He has presented and published numerous articles on claims analysis, entitlement issues, CPM schedule and damages analyses, cumulative impact claims, and claims prevention.

Rod C. Carter, CCP, PSP is President of Long International and has over 20 years of experience in construction project controls, contract disputes and resolution, negotiations, mediation, arbitration support, and expert testimony on scheduling, loss of productivity, and quantum issues.  He has experience in entitlement, schedule, and damages analyses on over 30 construction disputes ranging in value from US$100,000 to US$7 billion, related to oil and gas, oil refinery, LNG, heavy civil, nuclear, environmental, chemical, power, industrial, commercial, and residential construction projects. Mr. Carter specializes in loss of productivity, cumulative impact, and quantum calculations, and had a lead role in assessing damages on more than a dozen major disputes.  In addition, Mr. Carter has developed cost and schedule risk analysis models using Monte Carlo simulations to address the uncertainty of estimates and claims.

Scott M. Francis, P.E., PSP is a Vice President of Long International and has over 20 years of experience in project management, contract disputes analysis and resolution, CPM schedule preparation, execution, and analysis, productivity analysis, contract administration, design engineering, construction management, and government contracting.  He provides schedule development and assurance services, cost estimating, and claims analysis services on projects for both owners and contractors.  Specific responsibilities include CPM development and reviews, CPM schedule delay and acceleration analyses, change order impact analysis, issue identification, correlation of impacts to schedule activities, and productivity evaluations.

John Miller, CFI, CFEI, CVFI, ECT Fire Capt. (Ret.), is a Certified Fire Investigator, Explosion Investigator, Vehicle Investigator, and Evidence Collection Technician licensed in California. He has 29 years in the fire service, over 24 years in the private sector, and 3 years as a major city fire investigator. Mr. Miller has investigated over 2,500 fires. He started in the fire service in 1972. 

Litigation Support - Over the courses of his career, Mr. Miller has handled over 18,000 pieces of evidence. His services include retrieving, transporting, and storing evidence (evidence examination facility available.) He works with public and federal defender offices and is NFPA 921 & 1033 compliant.

As of October 2022, Mr. Miller has been retained in 10 Defense cases, 7 Plaintiff cases: 5 Criminal cases, 12 Civil cases, and 7 trials. He recently participated in a 1.7 million dollar court case with a unanimous decision in his client's favor. See Case List.

Areas of Expertise:

• Fire Investigation
• Arson
• Fraud
• Insurance Subrogation

Background Information - Since 1998, Mr. Miller has served as President of JMI, INC., conducting fire investigations in California. Prior to that, from 1980-2000, he worked as a fire investigator and ultimately Fire Captain with the Sacramento City Fire Department.

Mr. Miller also served with the United States Air Force from 1972-1979 as a firefighter, crew chief, and dispatcher, in charge of extinguisher maintenance at Mather. He worked at McClellan, Mather, and Kunsan, Korea Air Force bases.

Certifications:

• Certified Fire Investigator by the International Association of Arson Investigators
• Certified Fire Investigator by the California Conference of Arson Investigators
• Certified Fire Investigator California State Fire Marshal's Office
• Certified Evidence Collection Technician by the International Association of Arson Investigators
• Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator by the National Association of Fire Investigators
• Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator by the by the National Association of Fire Investigators
• Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator by the National Association of Fire Investigators
• Certified Evidence Collection Technician by the International Association of Arson Investigators
• NFPA 921 & 1033 Compliant
  

View JMI Fire Investigation's Consulting Profile.

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. 

Meyer R. Rosen, FRSC, FAIC, CPC, CChE, is a leading creative consultant for the Legal Profession, Specialty Chemical / Personal Care Industries. He is Founder & President of Interactive Consulting, Inc. (www.chemicalconsult.com). 

Meyer is a Forensic Litigation expert for both plaintiff and defense in hazardous chemicals, products liability, personal injury, fires and explosions, intellectual property and trade secret cases. He also provides Technical Marketing, New Business Development, Technical Consulting and Professional Editing services internationally to the Specialty Chemical, Personal Care, Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Allied Industries. 

Meyer also has 15 years experience as a Professor of Fire Technology at Westchester Community College. Mr. Rosen is Editor- in- Chief of Harry’s Cosmeticology, 9th Ed. A 2,600 page trilogy on all aspects of the cosmetic industry (www.harryscosmeticology.com)’ as well as being Editor-in-Chief Emeritus for EuroCosmetics magazine (Germany). 

Technology Expertise (Intellectual Property/Chemical Industry): Mr. Rosen provides consultation and litigation support in patent infringement, trade secret issues and licensing matters. His scientific areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

• Organosilicones: Surfactants, Emulsions, Foams, Antifoams, Silane Coupling Agents
• Water Soluble Polymers, Poly(ethylene oxide), Polyethylene Glycol, and Poly (acrylamide) and Water Insoluble Polymers
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry: Stability of Dispersions, Wetting & Spreading Phenomena, Suspensions & Emulsions, Clays, Paint & Coatings, Personal Care, Cosmetics
• Flocculating and Coagulating Agents
• Applied Rheology, Rheology Modification of Aqueous & Non-Aqueous Media

Certifications:

• Chartered Chemist and Fellow: Royal Society of Chemistry – London
• Nationally Certified Professional Chemist and Professional Chemical Engineer
• Fire and Explosion Expert (Advanced Training)
• Fellow: American College of Forensic Examiners
• Fellow: American Institute of Chemists
• Diplomate: American Board of Forensic Examiners
• Diplomate: American Board of Forensic Engineering and Technology

View Meyer Rosen's Consulting Profile.

Geo Henderson's career has spanned over 34 years and has included Public and Private Sector Fire and Emergency Medical Services.  Extending into leadership, incident management, design and implementation of immersive educational scenarios, physician training, and emergency planning, Mr. Henderson has experience in several widely varying and vastly different aspects of his profession. In addition to management of countless incidents in a broad array of emergency services, he has also mitigated events ranging in complexity from multiple alarm fires to mass casualty incidents.  

As a paramedic supervisor for both a municipal, fire-based EMS system (260 EMS providers) and a county emergency medical services system (60 EMS providers) Mr. Henderson has participated in the design and implementation of educational, operational, safety, quality improvement, and EMS policies and procedures for EMTs, paramedics and physicians.

Litigation Support - In 2021, Mr. Henderson began practice as an expert witness specializing in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine.  He has been retained by firms representing both defendants and plaintiffs throughout the United States.

Areas of Expertise:

For a more robust accounting of the diversity in experiences, occupations, and emergency incidents that have enriched Mr. Henderson's education, please contact him at 518-423-1819 or via email at me@geohenderson.com.

Timothy P. Harrigan, ScD, MBA, PE, is a Mechanics / Biomechanics and Modelling and Simulation Engineer with over 35 years of experience. He has spent 15 years in Orthopedic departments and the rest of his career in Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Harrigan has done accident reconstruction through analytical and computational models, and extensively used FEA, CFD and, Fluid-structure models.

Litigation Support - Dr. Harrigan has strong analytical skills and qualifications for both the biomechanical issues and the interacting mechanical and electrical environments. He works on both Design and Manufacturing Defects in Medical Devices, including total joint replacements, IV tubing, insulin pumps, IV fertilization, and heart valves. With 3 US Patents, and having passed the patent bar, Dr. Harrigan works effectively with IP professionals on expert reports Injury Biomechanics and Intellectual Property. 

Dr. Harrigan investigates injury and accident scenes to gather relevant data and develop quantitative models for impact injury, blast effects, vehicle collisions, industrial accidents, and premises injury. He develops situation models, accident scene models and device models, and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of inferences from those working models. He's been Daubert/Robinson challenged but never excluded.

Selected Cases - August 2009 to Present:

• Investigated and testified on biomechanics in consumer product liability suit based on Chinese-made inflatable pool slide; won $20M verdict in Massachusetts. (Aleo v Toys-R-Us)
• Investigated and testified on biomechanics in consumer product liability suit based on Chinese-made inflatable pool slide; won $4M verdict in Missouri. (Grantham v Wal-mart)
• Investigated and testified on biomechanical factors in injury, including product, premises, and transportation litigation
• Provided expert testimony, developed finite element models, and made pressure measurements on bicycle seats in support of $3+M patent infringement claims in the U.S., Italy, and China
• Provided court testimony, deposition testimony, and reports in Patent infringement and validity actions including Inter-partes reviews. (IPR)

Certifications:

• Registered Professional Engineer, State of Texas #86769
• Registered Patent Agent, US Patent and Trademark Office, Registration #51,784

Global Forensic Services, LLC (GFS) is a Forensic Consulting, Laboratory and Investigative Firm offering over 44 years of experience and training in a wide range of forensic science and private investigation disciplines.

Larry Stewart has personally examined tens of thousands of individual items of evidence from sources such as state, local, and federal agencies (e.g. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Central Intelligence Agency, and others), and foreign governments. On several occasions he has examined cases involving international disputes between governments. 

Mr. Stewart has testified as an Expert Witness in state, federal and military courts of law, as well as in foreign court systems to include; Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sri Lanka and Thailand. He has also testified at The Hague in the Netherlands and three times as an expert before the U.S. Congress. 

Areas of Expertise Include:

William Guentzler, Ph.D. has over 30 years as a Forensic Examiner and 36 years as a University Professor. Dr. Guentzler specializes in the area of FAILURE ANALYSIS for autos, trucks, ATCs, ATVs, motorcycles, motor homes, marine and golf carts. 

Areas of Expertise:

Dr. Guentzler has served as an Expert Witness for both Plaintiff and Defense in over 550 Cases. References are available upon request.

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.