Forensic Engineering Expert Witnesses: 24

As an arbitrator, structural/civil engineer, and expert forensic consultant with nearly four decades of experience, Casey Hemmatyar has provided extensive expert services for defendants’ and plaintiffs’ attorneys on numerous construction litigation matters throughout the United States and Canada.

He has been retained as an expert engineer in over one hundred litigation matters on single and class-action legal cases by the U.S. government, law firms, and insurance carriers at the State and Federal levels, working with both plaintiff and defendant sides.

A partial list of litigation cases is available upon request. His understanding of core engineering and legal concepts has enabled him to assist a wide range of clientele effectively. He brings diversified experience in structural and civil engineering design and forensic engineering, investigation, and evaluation.

He also conducts research, has assisted in the development of building codes and standards, and has supervised the construction of domestic and international projects. His experience includes special structures and new buildings as well as modifications, alterations, seismic/hurricane retrofits, and upgrades to existing structures. He has provided failure analysis, expert consultation, structural forensic investigation, and damage assessment services for numerous litigation and insurance-related matters.

He actively presents continuing education lectures to audiences of licensed engineers, architects, and general contractors on topics of structural and forensic engineering throughout North America. Mr. Hemmatyar has been the principal structural engineer on high-profile projects for prestigious clients, including NASA and other notable organizations.  Currently, he directs PSFEG and has served as Director for SEAOSC from 2011 to 2013.

His work encompasses a diverse range of structures, including hospitals,  educational institutions (including schools and universities), telecommunication centers, aviation facilities, government buildings, laboratories, as well as commercial, industrial, and residential structures.

Mechanical Engineer - Turbomachinery Expert. Gas turbine engines, steam turbines, jet engines, compressors, pumps, expanders, generators, cogeneration, combustion equipment, diesel engines, and reciprocating compressors. 

Failure analysis, stress analysis, mechanical design, design analysis, troubleshooting, performance analysis, durability assessment. Access to metallurgical laboratory. Experienced Expert witness. 

Please see our Service List at https://sbkushnick.com/servicelist.pdf for a concise description.

Dr. Shakir Shatnawi, PhD, PE, is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the Transportation Engineering industry. Shakir has a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering. He has over 30 years of practical and extensive engineering and transportation expertise covering industry and public agencies including FHWA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). 

Shakir is currently the president of Shatec Engineering Consultants. He taught highway engineering, traffic engineering and transportation engineering and pavement design at California State University. Dr. Shatnawi served as a principal investigator on multi-million dollar transportation projects. He held various positions at Caltrans including a Senior Transportation Engineer, a Supervising Transportation Engineer and a Division Chief.

 Dr. Shatnawi's education and experience demonstrates a wealth of engineering knowledge encompassing highway design, traffic engineering, pavement design, geotechnical engineering, materials and construction . As a recipient of many acknowledgements from the government, Dr. Shatnawi has an impeccable reputation within the industry for his significant professional contributions. As an expert orator, he frequently shares his knowledge at major conferences around the world. Dr. Shatnawi provides expert witness services in the following areas:

View Dr. Shatnawi's Consulting Profile.

Mark E. Rieser, II, MS, PE, AIA, GBC, GEC has over 30 years of experience in the Engineering, Architectural, Construction, and Building Design industry. He provides his clients with a comprehensive knowledge of Engineering, Construction Technology and Construction Standards of Professional Practice. 

Background Experience - President of an “active” Design and Building company with a professional staff and Headquarter offices in San Jose and Los Angeles, and offices in Sacramento and San Francisco. Mr. Rieser has managed, designed, and constructed over 4,000 units to include high-rise, single family homes, condominiums, townhomes, podiums, apartments, and commercial buildings, His experience includes building and roadway design, construction, management, with designs of over 500 miles of asphalt and roadway improvements, tunnels, San Francisco Airport, Santa Clara Light Rail, Southern Pacific Railroad, Caltrans, and BART. 

Mr. Rieser has an insightful understanding of Civil / Structural Engineering, Soil Engineering, Transportation, Traffic Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Safety Expert, OSHA Standards, Architectural Design, Asphalt Design, Cost Estimation, Public Works Design Bidding and Estimation, General Engineering, General Building, and an Accident Reconstruction expert. “Our bids are not just a tool but are numbers that we be use to finish the work, accurately, on-time, and safely.” 

Forensic Construction and Engineering - Mark Rieser is a renowned forensic expert with the knowledge to safeguard clients from unwanted litigation as well as support both plaintiffs and defendants. He works closely with insurance companies and attorneys on various public, city, and state cases throughout the western United States. To date, he has been designated as an expert in over 550 Forensic Construction and Engineering cases throughout the United States. Mr. Rieser has been designated and testified Court as an expert in the following categories:

View Mark Rieser's Consulting Profile.

Since 1988, Real-World Forensic Engineering, LLC ("RWFE") has provided engineering services to industries and government labs, as well as litigation support to both plaintiff and defense attorneys practicing in many areas.

RWFE Areas of Expertise Include:

At RWFE, we proudly distinguish ourselves by our Four C's:

CREDENTIALS. COMPETENCE. CREDIBILITY. COMMUNICATION.

Design Evaluation – Accident Investigation – Intellectual Property - Failure Analysis – Fire Cause & Origin – Component Testing - Computer Aided Drafting – Accident Animation - Expert Witness & Litigation Support

www.ExpertEngineering.com

R. Kevin Smith PE, BSME, MMAE, has been a specialist in Engineering Forensic Safety and Design for 35 years. He has consulted on over a 1,000 matters nationwide. Mr. Smith is a registered professional engineer and holds a BSME and MMAE from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He is board certified forensic engineer through the National Academy of Forensic Engineers. He specializes in Material Handling Equipment Safety, including lift trucks, dock safety, truck loading, conveyors, and aerial work platform safety. 

Mr. has been actively involved as a member of the committee that writes the Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks (ASME/ANSI B56.1) for over 30 years. He also serves on the B56.6 committee (rough terrain lift trucks) and the ANSI A92.5 and A92.6 subcommittees (self-propelled elevating work platforms).

 Litigation Support - Mr. Smith formerly worked for Triodyne, Inc. for over 15 years as a forensic engineer/principal engineer. As President of R. K. Smith Engineering Inc., for over 25 years, he currently has a laboratory for examination and testing,and owns or has access to varied testing equipment and tools.He has testified at depositions and trials on several hundred matters. Mr. Smith has performed hundreds of investigations into product failures involving injury and property damage, and has reconstructed numerous accidents. His expertise is available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. Mr. Smith also was previously on the Adjunct Math faculty at Prairie State College for 13 years. 

Areas of Expertise:

View R. Kevin Smith's Consulting Profile.

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. Headquartered in Tallahassee, FL, we have locations in Jacksonville, FL; Melbourne, FL; Tampa, FL; Indianapolis, IN; New Orleans, LA; San Diego, CA; Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; and Tucson, AZ.

Traci K. Campbell, P.E., CFSE, CXLT, has over 23 years of experience investigating, analyzing, and testifying in matters involving a variety of forensic engineering issues. She is an expert in the following: industrial accident reconstruction and human factors; slip, trip, stumble and fall analysis; application of standards, codes, and guidelines including OSHA, ANSI, ASTM, Life Safety, ADA, NFSI, and Building Codes; workplace safety related issues; forklift and material handling devices; construction machinery and workplaces; manufacturing equipment; and the analysis of workplace systems and product failures. 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 CFSE – Certified Forensic Slip Expert, 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.

Page Engineering is a professional consulting firm that combines Ergonomics, Industrial Engineering, and Health and Safety expertise. They have served industry leaders in the areas of Transportation, Shipping, Manufacturing, and Health Care throughout the United States and Canada. Established in 1994, their approach is bolstered by years of litigation scrutiny and backed by extensive application of ergonomics, human factors, epidemiologic, and occupational medical scientific literature. They specialize in human factors and ergonomics assessments, including both acute and cumulative exposures and their hands-on approach is backed by extensive research and measurement of actual work exposure to occupational physical factors and workplace design.

Litigation Support - The professionals at Page Engineering provide forensic engineering and root cause analysis expert witness services to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defense. Their areas of expertise include:

George B. Page, CPE, is a Certified Professional Ergonomist. Since founding Page Engineering, Mr. Page has been providing ergonomics services, integrating multiple disciplines (industrial engineering, safety, health, business, regulatory) to provide effective results, whether in the application of job analyses and job improvement processes or in physical job demands analyses. His experience includes conducting ergonomics analyses and research in the railroad industry, primarily, and in heavy industry, in general, for over 30 years. Clients include Union Pacific Railroad, Kansas City Southern Railways, Association of American Railroads, FedEx, American Petroleum Institute, Food Marketing Institute, Food Distributors International, Blue Water Bridge Authority, USPS. His expertise includes job exposure assessments, physical demands assessments, accident reconstruction, and forensic engineering.

Greg G. Weames, CPE, CCPE, CRSP, is a Certified Professional Ergonomist who provides forensic services regarding Musculoskeletal Injury / Disorder Risk and expert testimony. Since joining Page Engineering, Inc., Mr. Weames has been asked to provide consulting services in ergonomics for over 500 cases involving civil lawsuit work-related injury/disorder claims. With training, education, and experience in musculoskeletal injury and musculoskeletal disorder as a focus, he applies generally accepted methodology in his analysis of causation to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty. Mr. Weames has his expert witness experience from within the railroad industry, which includes transportation, construction maintenance, mechanical shop, communications, and office environments that support a large variety of jobs and work tasks. Over the past 20 years of providing expert witness services, Mr. Weames has relied on independent, objective measurements of claimed exposures to occupational physical factors and the epidemiologic scientific literature, relevant ergonomics guidelines, and standards to support his opinions. Mr. Weames has given depositions and has appeared at jury trials in both State and Federal US courts during his years doing expert witness work.

Stephen D. Fleming, CPE, CXLT, is an Industrial Engineer / Ergonomist whose background includes analyzing work environments and work tasks using industrial engineering work measurement methods and risk assessment models for different body regions. His expertise is in assisting industrial clients in applying ergonomics to workplace processes, tools, and equipment, including all major North American railroads, FedEx, Ford Motor Company, Lear Seating, USPS, and the Blue Water Bridge Authority. Mr. Fleming has been acknowledged for developing and implementing a methodology for measuring and analyzing exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) and hand-arm vibration (HAV).

View Page Engineering's Consulting Profile.

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.

Derek B. Gilboe, PE, a Metallurgical Engineer with over 30 years of experience, focuses on asset integrity using knowledge of metallurgy, materials, and processes in multiple industries on four continents in environments from arctic to desert in onshore and offshore conditions. He brings extensive knowledge in standards and regulations relating to Oil and Gas Piping and Pipelines.

Mr. Gilboe has experience with operators, service providers, and consultants on projects ranging from $100k to over $5 billion. His specialty has been midstream and piping, focusing on forensic engineering, integrity engineering, and failure investigations.

Litigation Support - Mr. Gilboe provide analysis and opinions for legal cases and is open to any client requiring expert witness services for a legal case or an organization requiring fractional engineering services. He can explain complex engineering concepts, principles, methods, and standards in a clear and understandable way. He analyzes, evaluates, and verifies engineering evidence, such as documents, drawings, calculations, tests, experiments, simulations, or models and provides independent and objective opinions on the engineering aspects of a case, such as causation, liability, damages, or remedies.

Areas of Expertise:

LECS (UK) Limited  is an International Engineering Firm specializing in Lifts, Escalators, Facade Access and Funiculars (cable cars). With over 20 years of trading history, their specialized engineers are qualified, experienced and carry full professional insurances. Members of the engineering team have all worked for major contractors and have held positions including Senior Engineer, Project Manager and Commissioning / Test Engineers. As a result, LECS has over 150 years of accumulated experience within the key staff of the engineering team and currently employs 10% of the world’s graduates of the MSc in Lift Engineering from the University of Northampton.

LECS (UK) Limited is a member of independent bodies such as ACE, BSI and ConstructionLine. They have an accredited Quality Assurance scheme to ISO 9001 (2008) and are regularly audited. They provide services for many market sectors including overseas projects, hotels, retail, commercial health, local authority and heritage. The engineers at LECS (UK) have extensive experience as Expert Witnesses and Consultants in litigation involving lifts and escalators. Their services include preparing expert reports in accordance with Regulation 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules and also in Criminal cases. They are also available for adjudication and arbitration cases. LECS (UK) expert witness services have been called on in overseas situations including Gran Canaria, Dubai, Hong Kong, Spain and Turkey.

Services Include:

• Expert Witness - Litigation Support
• Statutory Inspections
• Maintenance Audits
• Acquisition & Condition Surveys
• Project Management
• Traffic Analysis
• Risk Assessments
• New Installations & Modernization Specifications
• Maintenance Specifications
• Training
• Portfolio Management

Jose Villalobos, PE, is a licensed Civil and Corrosion Engineer with over 48 years of experience in the design and condition assessment of corrosion protection systems for municipal infrastructure including Water and Wastewater Conveyance, Treatment, and Storage.

Mr. Villalobos and his team at JLV Wolf Inc. are based in San Leandro, California and specialize in assisting owners and engineering firms when it comes to forensic investigations. With their help, clients can collect all the needed information to properly assess structural integrity or causes of the structural failure. The firm offers services throughout the US.

Litigation Support - Mr. Villalobos provides professional assistance to owners, design engineers, and attorneys in evaluating operational issues at water and wastewater plants that may require forensic investigations. He is retained for cases involving the deterioration of Concrete and Corrosion of Metals in Water and Wastewater Facilities including atmospheric, immersed, and buried exposures at:

Relevant Project Experience (Partial List):

• A.C. Transit, Oakland, Bus Maintenance Facility Buries Hydraulic Fluid Line Investigation
• Thompson vs. Standard Oil
• Landels Ripley Diamond Union Oil Tank Investigation
• Field, Richardson et al – Contra Costa Water District PG&E Claims Seaport Center Stainless Steel Pipe Support Cable Failure and Corrosion of Concrete Piles
• Bay View Condominiums Copper Recirculation Hot Water Systems San Luis Water District Cement Mortar Coated Pipe Failure
• Sea Colony Residential Housing Subdivision Reinforced Concrete Slab  Foundation Failure

Philip J. Isaak, PE, P.Eng., DCDC, RCDD, SMIEEE, is an expert witness, consultant & trainer in the design, construction, procurement, implementation, commissioning & operations of Information Technology, Telecommunications & Critical Data Center Facilities. 

Mr. Isaak provides clear analysis for complex disputes, incorporating industry standards, best-practices and over 20 years of consulting & training expertise working with clients located in 28 countries and territories across 6 continents. 

In recognition of Mr. Isaak’s professional standing, the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional association for advancement of technology, certified him to the grade of Senior Member, a level only 9% of IEEE’s over 400,000 global members hold. Mr. Isaak is also an author of several industry standards published by TIA & ANSI/BICSI, whitepapers published by The Green Grid, and the Data Center Handbook published by John Wiley & Sons.

Expert Witness Services

Areas of Expertise:

View Philip Isaak's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Fari Barzegar is a Licensed Engineer with 37 years of experience in Civil and Structural Engineering & Construction Forensics, Construction Project Management, university teaching/research. He has been an Expert Consultant / Witness in over 100-cases.

Litigation Consulting Expert Witness with testimony and trial experience. Has been retained by insurance companies, law firms, construction, energy, mining, technology & manufacturing industries, governmental & educational institutions, engineering and architectural firms, property owners and individuals. Consultant in both plaintiff and defendant cases.

• Insurance Claims, Peer Reviews
• Buildings, Structures & Materials: Residential, Commercial, Institutional, Historic Structures; Bridges, Towers, Stacks/Chimneys, Containment Vessels, Tanks, Grain Silos, Conduits & Pipelines, Retaining Walls, Foundations, Slabs & Pavements; Concrete, Steel, FRP Composites, Wood, CMU, Brick Masonry & Adobe
• Design / Construction / Integrity issues, Seismic Resistant Design; Errors & Omissions;Standards of Care; Repair & Retrofit Design Documents
• Construction Defects & Accidents; Defective Concrete; OSHA Standards, Excavations / Trenching / Scaffolds
• Slip/Trip/Fall, Code Compliance
• Damage & Failure Investigation; Due Diligence; Non-Destructive Testing 
• Explosion, Impact, Earthquake, Wind, Fire, Hurricane & Flood Damage Inspections / Analysis/Report
• Pile Driving & Demolition Damage to Adjacent Facilities: Vibrations, Cracking / Settlement
• Dynamic, Fracture, Thermal & Finite Element Stress Analysis; Product Design; Failure Simulation / Reconstruction
• Intellectual Property & Patent Infringement

Roger W. Griffith, P.E. is a professional Mechanical Engineer with over 40 years of experience in designing, maintaining, and operating mechanical systems (Plumbing, HVAC, and Fire Sprinkler Systems). As the principal of Griffith Engineering & Consulting for 23 years, his design experience with commercial and industrial projects includes convention centers, schools, office buildings, condominiums, apartment buildings, hotels, manufacturing facilities, medical buildings, restaurants, dormitories, fire halls, and maintenance facilities.

Litigation Support - Since 2002, Mr. Griffith has provided thorough, credible, and timely forensic engineering, consulting, and expert witness services. He also assists clients through the mediation and arbitration process. His expert testimony is based upon independent and impartial investigation, research, analysis, and testing. His services include written reports and the preparation of exhibits. Mr. Griffith's expertise is available to plaintiffs and defendants on the issues of plumbing, mechanical, and fire sprinkler system defects and failures. 

His specific areas of expertise include hot water scalding, carbon monoxide poisoning, and legionella. Mr. Griffith has served on numerous codes and standards committees related to areas, including the NFPA 54 Fuel Gas Code, the ASSE Scalding Awareness Task Group, the Uniform Codes' Legionella Task Groups, and the ICC Plumbing/Mechanical/Fuel Gas Code Action Committee. 

He is a Professional Engineer in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Areas of Expertise:

View Roger W. Griffith's Consulting Profile.