Forklifts Failure Analysis Expert Witnesses

Bransford Pickett, PE, DFE, BSc, MScBA, has over 25 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineer. SEFS expertise includes design and review of material handling equipment, material handling management, and ship board systems. SEFS offers litigation support services for Accident Investigation and Reconstruction covering failure analysis, process simulation, regulatory compliance, equipment reliability, and personal injury / safety. His materials handling and engineering services are offered to attorneys, insurance and end user companies nationally and internationally.

Mr. Pickett is a member on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers B30 committee on Safety Codes and Standards for cranes and rigging as well as a member of several subcommittees. He is also a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers P30 Committee- Planning for the Use of Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Cableways and Lifting Accessories. ASME BTH Standards Committee.

Mr. Pickett is a Professional Engineer, and holds a BSE from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a MScBA in Finance from San Diego State University, as well as a board certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer. He has qualified as an expert witness in the State of New York Supreme Court and the State of California Supreme Court.

Accident Investigation:

• Man baskets, Forklifts, Scissors Lifts, Aerial Lifts, Rigging Gear, Hydraulic Jacks, and Hydraulic / pneumatic Lift Systems, Automotive Lift Systems, Conveyors, Pallet and Packages Conveyors, Pneumatic Systems, Machine tools, Boats, Barges, and Elevators
• Tower, Mobile, Bridge, Truck, Portal, Container, Jib and Floating Barge Cranes, and Derricks
• Operator training compliance to National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, NCCCO, requirements for tower crane, mobile crane, overhead crane, articulating crane operator training and certification, signal person, and rigger certification
• Compliance covers applicable national and international standards that include the ABS, ASTM, ASM, ASME, ANSI, WSTDA, ALI, etc. and DIN, EN, FEM to list a few. National regulations include state and federal OSHA requirements as well as DOE, military specifications and standards

View Bransford Pickett's Consulting Profile.

Sam Iler, lead expert witness and the founder and principal of SafeCon, has more than 35 years of Construction Safety industry experience. To provide a credible, definitive, and demonstrable account of the technical information required to achieve the resolution of a dispute, Mr. Iler makes use of his decades of knowledge in construction and job site safety. 

Mr. Iler is a licensed General Contractor (CA) whose experience ranges from tradesman through contractor. He has earned a Business Degree, and holds the professional safety certifications of CHST, CSHM, and past NCCCO Crane Operator/Examiner.

Litigation Support - Mr. Iler's Expert Services include pre-litigation inspections and consultations, case evaluation, assistance in mediation and arbitration, and providing expert analysis for deposition and trial testimony.

 Areas of Expertise:

Construction Site Safety Personal Injury Standard of Care OSHA Regulations OSHA Citation Representation

Forklifts Scaffolding Falls from Heights Cranes Rigging

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 Expertise Includes:

Components & Machinery Metallurgy & Corrosion Dynamics of Impact & Collisions Friction Analysis / Slips, Trips and Falls Intellectual Property & Patent Review Accident Reconstruction / Animation Computer Aided Design Education & Training

Electrocution & Switch Malfunction Grounding & Lightning Protection Lightning Impulse Testing Products and Premises Liability & Safety High-Voltage & Current Power Systems Bridge Design and Safety Fire & Explosion Cause and Origin And Much More...

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

CREDENTIALS. COMPETENCE. CREDIBILITY. COMMUNICATION.

Credentials:	B.S., M.S., M.Eng., M.B.A., J.D., and Ph.D. Degreed Licensed Professional Engineers in Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil Engineering Tenured University Professors and Professionals NAFI Certified Fire and Explosion Investigators (CFEI) Licensed Master Electricians
Competence:	Over 80 Combined Years of Experience in Engineering R&D, Industry, Academia, Consulting, and Expert Witness Litigation Support Over 120 Combined Deposition and Court Testimonies
Credibility:	Internationally Recognized in Our Areas of Expertise More Than $19 Million in Peer-reviewed and Funded Research Grants Over 200 Combined Scientific Publications and Journal Articles
Communication:	Over 20 Different Undergraduate and Graduate-level University Courses Over 30 Invited Short Courses, Talks, and Lectures

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

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.

G. Fred Liebkemann IV, PE, is a Mechanical Engineer and an experienced designer and analyst of heavy handling and construction equipment, oilfield drilling equipment & structures, and service vessels including liftboats & jackup rigs.

Mr. Liebkemann is a qualified Crane Operator, Mechanic, and Rigger in accordance with API RP2D 7th edition. His current projects include investigation of crane, heavy equipment, and oilfield accidents, and the design of heavy machinery for various manufactures. Other areas of design experience include personnel access equipment such as manlifts, ladders, stairs, & scaffolding. Mr. Liebkemann's Marine Design experience includes hull structures, facilities, pumping & piping systems, propulsion & steering systems, and launching arrangements.

Mr. Liebkemann has delivered presentations and lectures on inspection and damage assessment of crane structures for crane mechanics. Speaking engagement topics have also included new regulatory requirements and rule changes for crane mechanics and inspectors.

Litigation Support - Mr. Liebkemann's services have been retained 134 times by attorneys in connection with accidents and disputes. Many of these cases are currently active. His services are retained several times per year by industrial and manufacturing clients to investigate major equipment failures. Available to counsel for both plaintiff and defendant, his services include accident investigations, site inspections, still and video photography, engineering design & failure analysis, preparation of drawings and scale models, reports, and testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

Crane Design and Operations Rigging Forklift Operations Amusement Ride Design Manual Lifting Practices Pile Driving Operations

Ladders & Scaffolds Walking & Working Surfaces Machine Guarding Oilfield Drilling Equipment Design & Operations Personnel Access Equipment Design and Operations Liftboat Jackup Drilling Rig Design / Operations

The experts at Miller Engineering are Ann Arbor-based professional engineers celebrating 35 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

Chemicals Safety & Labeling

• NEW OSHA HAZCOM (2012) & GHS Review
• MSDS, SDS and Product Label Compliance
• Toxic Torts - Diacetyl, Asbestos, Benzene, Lead, Carbon Monoxide

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

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

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

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 35 years of experience as an expert witness. He 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 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.
	Bradley T. Cook, PE – Managing Engineer Bradley is a registered professional engineer and consultant with extensive experience in accident reconstruction. He specializes in vehicular accident reconstruction and has investigated hundreds of vehicle accidents involving cars, trucks, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, etc. Bradley also has experience in product safety and hazard analysis; occupational safety and health (OSHA) compliance; pedestrian and worker slip and fall prevention; investigation and reconstruction of industrial and consumer product accidents. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Science in Engineering with a Biomedical concentration from Purdue University.

For over 25 years, Alpine Engineering and Design, Inc. has provided expert witness services in the fields of patents, Intellectual property, product liability, mechanical design, human factors, industrial safety, accident reconstruction, failure analysis, DOT compliance, compliance with standards, hydraulic systems. We specialize in the development of hydraulically operated equipment, trucks and related equipment, aerial lifts, industrial equipment, mobile equipment,amusement rides, aerial lifts, material handling, forklifts, boom trucks, suspension systems, man lifts, garbage trucks, front loaders, side loaders, automated loaders, rear loaders, roll-offs, and liftgates. Our engineers have over been retained on over 500 cases and hold 75 U.S. Patents.
 
Alpine Engineering and Design experts use resources such as a model shop, computer graphics and animations, full-size prototypes and written descriptions to communicate their ideas to their customers. They use these same resources to explain their opinions in a clear, concise manner in reports and when testifying.

EDUCATION & LICENSES

BSME, MSME, MBA (Product Development), PE, CSP

Expert Witness Services Professional Expert Reports Testing Forensic/Failure Analysis Accident Reconstruction Demonstratives Inspections/Measurements Compliance with Standards Expert Testimony Patent & Patent Related Issues Patent Searches Provisional Patent Complete with Illustrations Patent Infringement Review Product Development Innovative Concept Multi-Industry Experience Powerful Design Tools Full Service Fabricating Materials Design Analysis Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Electrical Structural Integrity Tests Value Analysis