Highways / Roads / Streets Expert Witnesses

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.

Hamid K. Toossi, BSCE, MBA, EIT, M ASCE, TAI's founder and CEO, has over 35 years of academic and hands-on experience in the design, build, and management of heavy Civil and Commercial Construction projects.

Mr. Toossi's experience includes Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling, Engineering, Construction Management, Contract Administration, Cost Estimating, Value Engineering, Claims Analysis, and Expert Services for Construction Claims and Contract Disputes, in the United States as well as overseas.

Mr. Toossi has participated in numerous Continuing Professional Education courses, both as an instructor, and as an auditor, in Contract Law, Construction Law, Business Law, Leadership, Management, Engineering, Construction Management, and Construction Claims. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and the founding member of the American Society of MBA Executives.

Litigation Support: Hamid K. Toossi offers expert witness services to law firms representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include written reports, depositions, arbitration, mediation, and trial testimony as needed. He has been involved in numerous Construction Claim cases including:

• Testimony before the American Arbitration Association in connection with a GC bond claim against a surety insurance company and counter claim by insurance company for fraudulent inducement and wrongful termination etc.
• Testimony before the circuit court, in Fairfax, VA, in areas of concrete construction materials and methods in connection with a water reclamation facility construction project in Ashburn, VA.
• Prepared testimony as part of litigation before the United States Court of Federal Claims in areas of Critical Path Method (CPM) Scheduling, delay, disruption and loss of productivity, in connection with design and construction of two submarine decompression chambers for US Naval Facilities Engineering Command

Areas of Expertise:

Concrete and Concrete Construction Critical Path Method (CPM) Construction Acceleration Claims Construction Defects CPM Scheduling Scheduling Delay & Analysis

Construction Claims Construction Delays Forensic Evaluation Construction Disputes Concrete/ Foundations Proof of Damages Calculation

View TAI's Consulting Profile.

William C. Stein, Jr., PE, CCM, has more than 45 years of Roadway / Heavy Highway Construction and Materials Engineering experience. He has a rich and varied work history that includes construction materials engineering for highways and bridges, industrial plants, high rise offices, and power plants. He has worked for private owners and general contractors as well as the Department of Transportation.

Litigation Support - Mr. Stein Offers consulting and expert services for attorneys on issues regarding road, street, highway, temporary traffic control, runway, and earthwork; asphalt, concrete, coatings and other construction materials; designs, plans, specifications, CPM scheduling (Primavera) and contract documents; right-of-way issues; and work zone safety. Licensed in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas, he performs contract performance forensic investigations and provides consulting, expert reports, rebuttals, and testimony if required.

Areas of Expertise:

Highway Construction Roadway Construction Bridge Construction Highway Engineering Materials Engineering Construction Site Work

Traffic Safety Concrete / Cement Building Contractor Liability Construction Damages Scheduling Delay and Analysis Soil Analysis

Certifications:

• Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
• Certified Primavera Basic (CPM)
• Certified Primavera Advanced (CPM)
• Certified LADOTD Structural (bridge)
• Inspector/Technician Certified Troxler
• Humboldt Nuclear Moisture/ Density Operator
• Lead Abatement
• Certified Quality Compliance Surveillance in Fossil Power Plants, Organic & Inorganic Coatings Application and Inspection
• Certified Traffic Control Supervisor
• Certified Flagger Instructor

Shakir Shatnawi, PhD, PE, specializes in Transportation Engineering and Pavement Design and has over 27 years of practical and extensive engineering and transportation expertise covering industry and public agencies including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). As President of Shatec Engineering Consultants, LLC, he directs engineering operations and performs pavement studies and investigations.

Background Experience - Dr. Shatnawi served as a principal investigator on multi-million dollar pavement projects. He taught highway and transportation engineering at California State University. He was the QC/QA program manager, the chief of the Pavement Design and Rehabilitation and the chief of Pavement Preservation, and served as the Caltrans State Pavement Engineer. He directed Caltrans’ Pavement Program as a Division Chief and oversaw over 50,000 lane miles with a budget of over $200 million in pavement preservation and over $500 million in pavement rehabilitation.

Litigation Support - Dr. Shatnawi provides expert witness services, expert testimony, and litigation support to legal entities and attorneys representing both Plaintiff and Defense. His services include dispute resolution and failure and forensic engineering analysis and investigations on cases related to:

Accident Reconstruction Highway Design Standards Highway Specifications / Guidelines Public Agency Policies / Practices Pavements Materials Highway Geometric Design Drainage Asphalt Concrete Highway Repairs / Maintenance

Construction Quality Control / Quality Assurance Construction Claims Surface Conditions - Friction, Skid Resistance Potholes / Roughness Traffic Highway Safety Signage Sight Distance Requirements Roadside Hazards ADA Requirements Code Violations

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 categorizes:

Traffic Engineer Transportation Engineer Architect Safety Expert General Building Contractor Civil Engineer General Engineering Contractor Roofing

Estimator Soils Caltrans Standards Structural analysis Hydraulics OSHA Standards Construction Management Waterproofing

NorCal Headquarters San Jose Office 2033 Gateway Pl Suite 500 San Jose, CA 95110	San Francisco Office 425 Market St Suite 2200 San Francisco, CA 94105	SoCal Headquarters Los Angeles Office 10100 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90067	Sacramento Office 777 Campus Commons Rd Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95825

View Mark Rieser's Consulting Profile.

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

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

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 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. 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.

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.

Andrew Allocco, PE, is a leading Construction Consultant, Florida Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster and Real Estate Broker. With over 45 years of experience in his fields of expertise, Mr. Allocco's services are sought by individuals, corporations, developers, and law firms to oversee and advise on construction projects. He is the current owner of construction, real estate, and engineering consulting firms.

Background Experience - Mr. Allocco is the President of Indian River Construction Services, Inc. Prior to his current role, he served as the President of Better Homes Construction Services, Inc. of Miami, Florida, which performed in excess of 40,000 Building Inspections. A Forensic Consulting Engineer, he inspects Commercial, Residential, and Industrial Facilities before, during, and after construction. He assists property owners with complex insurance claims, some of which involve significant and lengthy litigation

Mr. Allocco is not only licensed in the State of Florida as a Professional Engineer and Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, he holds more licenses both presently active and past than any other individual in the State

Litigation Support - Since the early 1970s, Andrew Allocco has been an Expert Witness in many court and arbitration cases involving disputes between owners, builders, contractors, and architects. He has extensive knowledge of the court litigation process and has assisted law firms in providing facts and questions to be used during depositions and discovery motions. Mr. Allocco's services include inspection reports on the status of the property, depositions, trial testimony, arbitration, and mediation hearings.

Areas of Expertise:

Roof Analysis Balcony Inspections Structural Condition of Buildings / Drone Inspections Highrise Buildings Smart Buildings / Energy Use / Conservation Sick Buildings HVAC  Water Intrusion

Sewer Charges Swimming Pool Spa Fire Piping Motors Machinery Roads Fencing

Insurance Litigation and Structural Consulting - Mr. Allocco is also called upon by insurance companies and attorneys representing property owners to help adjusters evaluate loss. He has been retained to investige the cause of a structural failures, determination the extent of the structural damage, develop subrogation information, prepare the scope of repair, develop a repair design, draft specifications, and more. Mr. Allocco aslo has experience with code upgrades and notice of dangerous conditions, including hurricanes such as Hurricane Andrew.

View Andrew Allocco's Consulting Profile.

Peter Petrovsky, PE, CE, ME , has provided services as a consultant and an expert witness in applied Civil and Mechanical Engineering Science, Building, Infrastructure, and Earthwork Contracting. His strength and experience is to successfully combine engineering and applied mechanics with the field experience and contracting skills. He packages civil, mechanical engineering, as well as, general, engineering, earthwork and paving and hazardous waste contracting into one package for the use of his clients. His services also include construction job site safety in fire prevention and personnel protection. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Petrovsky's shirtsleeve approach to problem solving gives him the ability to distill complex technical issues to a palatable presentation in the appropriate forum. Serving the legal industry for 25 years, he has been retained in over 600 plaintiff and defense cases, been deposed over 200 times, and given testimony approximately 100 times. Mr. Petrovsky's services include testing and analysis, trial preparation case analysis, deposition review and expert summary, evidence presentation, consulting, report writing, court exhibits, static and computer depictions, construction and engineering contract analysis, accident reconstruction, and interpretation of administrative regulations. He has assisted counsel on cases in California, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Kentucky, and Nevada. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Mechanical Engineering and Mechanical Design: Machine safety and guarding, Strength of materials, wood, metals, plastics
• Materials Issues and Failure Analysis: Mechanisms, components and machinery; Pressure testing, fatigue analysis
• Accident Investigations: Heavy equipment accidents, bulldozers, backhoes, excavators; Cranes, lifts, manipulators
• Air conditioning and Refrigeration: Thermography services and analysis
• Civil Engineering: Design of Buildings; Residential, industrial, commercial site plans; Land development, site preparation and paving, drilling and boring; Public and private roadways, sidewalks, ramps, parking lots, lighting; Septic systems, sewers, public sewer blockage and stoppage; Scaffolds & scaffolding erection and accidents; Retaining walls and retaining wall failure; Foundation failure / structural damage; Plumbing leaks, water intrusion, explosions; Earthquake Damage Assessment and Remediation; Construction Disputes / Insurance claims; Stucco defects and failures; Job site fire prevention industry standards

Wayne J. Seiler, PhD, PE, is a Principal Engineer with All About Pavements Inc (API), with responsibility for Airport, Highway, and Port Pavement engineering and construction projects. With over 38 years of pavement engineering expertise, he is a Registered Professional Engineer in Minnesota, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, and Mississippi.

Dr. Seiler has conducted pavement evaluations and developed numerous pavement designs for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of airports throughout the United States during his 38 year career. As a project manager, he has completed pavement evaluation, rehabilitation design, and pavement management work for several commercial airports, including BWI, Charlotte International Airport, Portland International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, O'Hare International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Dayton International Airport, Wichita’s Mid-Continental Airport, and Montreal’s Mirabel and Dorval International Airports. These studies were accomplished through extensive records review, thorough investigations, pavement condition index surveys, nondestructive deflection testing, remaining life analyses, rehabilitation design using FAA procedures and more advanced mechanistic analyses, and life cycle cost comparisons.

In 2017, ASCE’s Transportation & Development Institute awarded Dr. Seiler with their national Airfield Pavement Practitioner Award. This award honors and recognizes practicing engineers employed in the airfield pavement engineering profession with demonstrated leadership and achievement in airfield pavement projects.

Litigation Support - Dr. Seiler has provided expert witness and expert consultant services to assist in the investigation of Pavement Failures that have occurred shortly after construction. Engineering services include data collection with Nondestructive Deflection Testing equipment and the use of local geotechnical laboratories at the project site.

To assist in legal case resolution, API owns two Falling Weight Deflectometers that can be used to successfully gather forensic data to complement his pavement expertise. Dr. Seiler recently helped the Cities of Concord and Manchester New Hampshire defend permitting fees that charge utility companies for constructing deep utility cuts that reduce the life of roadways in their cities. The case was successfully defended all the way to the New Hampshire Supreme Court after appeals by the prosecution.

View API's Consulting Profile.