Instrumentation Expert Witnesses: 8

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:

OSHA Compliance Safety Performance Improvement Incident Investigation Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP) OSHA PSM Regulation

EPA RMP Regulation Process Hazards Analysis Design, Operation Maintenance and Management of Chemical and Refinery Equipment and Facilities

John Hatcher is an industry leader in Building Systems Engineering including, Security, Building Automation Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Intelligent Building Concepts and Commissioining. He has worked on some of the most prestigious facilities in the world including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. 

Security Expertise:

• Access Control
• CCTV Surveillance
• Emergency Communications
• Operations
• Risk Assessments

Building Automation Expertise:

• Energy Management
• HVAC Controls
• Operations
• MEP Commissioning

Other Systems Expertise:

• Fire Alarm
• Telecommunication
• Intelligent Buildings

For over 40 years, Chuck Dutill, P.E., D.F.E. has been performing Hydrology and Environmental Engineering nationwide. He has focused on wastewater, stormwater, flooding, sewers, septic systems, groundwater, drainage, runoff, hydrology, hydraulics, backups, drinking water, and air quality. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Dutill has spent approximately 30% of his professional time providing expert witness services for over 40 years. Approximately 45 to 50% of his expert witness services have been for defendants and about 50 to 55% for plaintiffs. He has issued 160 to 165 expert reports, been deposed approximately 40 to 45 times, and testified in federal and state court (including jury and non-jury trials) approximately 30 to 35 times. 

Forensic cases have occurred in approximately 35 states. As indicated in feedback from attorneys on expert witness cases, some of his strengths include understandable guidance, responsiveness, timeliness, communication, effective report writing, strong testimony (including on cross), efficiency, organization, and assistance with framing case issues. 

Expertise:

Hydrology Sewer Water Flooding  Groundwater  Hydrogeology  Drainage  Wastewater Treatment Septic Systems Utility Sewer Systems  Sanitary Sewage  Mold  Stormwater Management  Hydraulics  Hazardous Waste  Drinking Water Waste Management

Erosion Soils  Pumping  Water Quality  Air Quality  Wells  Runoff Backups  Water Mains Storm Sewers  Detention  Contamination  Spills  Pollution  Sinkholes  Sedimentation  Wetlands  Infiltration/Inflow  Dams  Floodplains

Toxicity  Remediation  Grading  Health and Safety Modeling  Odors  Combined Sewers  Overflows  Aquifers  Water Distribution Water Treatment Hydraulic Fracturing  Hydroplaning  Monitoring  Metering Maintenance  Design Construction  Inspections

CV Available Upon Request View Mr. Dutill's Consulting Profile.

Dr. David W. Riley is an Extrusion Analysis & Plastics Rheological Consultant. Dr. Riley has spent over nineteen years as a consultant in the field of Plastic Processing. He has over forty years of experience in developing Polymer Defect Technology and fifteen years in developing the field of Plastic and Polymer coefficient of friction related to the feed section of the extruder.

Areas of Expertise:

• Expert Witness
• Analytical Instrumentation Adaptation to Processing Equipment
• Friction Analysis
• Melt Rheology
• Extrusion Equipment: Design & Analysis of Production
• Telecommunication Cables and Insulation
• Power Cables and Testing XLDPE
• All phases of PVC Compounding & Extrusion
• Thermal Stability of Polymers
• Surface Chemistry, Metals & Polymers

Arun Kumar, Ph.D. has 34 years of experience in Metallurgy, Materials Science and Failure Analysis of Metallic and Non-Metallic Materials at Rockwell International, Hughes Aircraft Company and EAG Laboratories. He manages and supervises approximately 17 engineers and technicians performing a variety of analytical services and failure analysis.

Dr. Kumar provides metallurgical consultation, performs failure analysis and serves as an expert witness in product liability trials involving materials failures. He has extensive experience in metallurgical failure analysis of aircraft, helicopter, automobile and motorcycle components, machineries, medical implants, machine tools and household appliances.

Thomas H. Burtness, PE, is an Electrical Engineer specializing in both Electrical and Building Construction - equipment selection, specification, and installation (actually “working with the tools”), as well as cost control techniques.

Background - Mr. Burtness has 40+ years of experience in the design, specification, construction contract administration, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of electrical power, on-site generation, distribution, control, and instrumentation systems and equipment for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal occupancies. His experience also includes water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment plants, and military facilities.

Additional expertise includes Illumination Engineering for street, roadway, and area lighting including photometric footcandle requirements, calculations, field verification, equipment specifications, installation, and analysis of failure, glare, overlighting and underlighting.

Litigation Support - Since, 1981, Mr. Burtness has been providing forensic electrical engineering services to insurance companies and attorneys including accident and failure investigations, determination of cause and origin, litigation support, expert opinions, reports, and testimony. His services are available nationwide, with PE registration by comity available in most states.

Cases Involve:

Industrial Accidents Electrocution Personal Injury Fire Equipment and Machinery Failure

Failure of Safety Circuitry Grounding Lightning Damage and Fire Construction Defects / Contract Claims Design and Specification Disputes

View Thomas Burtness' Consulting Profile.

Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell is a Chartered Engineer who practices as an Arbitrator, Adjudicator and Expert for Determination. Geoffrey is the former Senior Partner of Consulting Mechanical and Electrical Engineers BHA Cromwell House.

A one time Chairman of the Expert Witness Society, Geoffrey Hartwell has experience giving evidence in court (in both civil and criminal matters) and in International Arbitration. He sometimes is retained as a Single Joint Expert or as a Tribunal Expert. His services are offered to both Plaintiff and Defense. Even when retained on behalf of a Client he, like all Experts, has an overriding responsibility to the Court or Tribunal.

After his early career in aerospace and nuclear energy, Geoffrey entered private practice in association with the late Leslie Heap and Gerald Lewis of Heap and Digby, Consulting Engineers, in 1969. While with them he designed water and sewage equipment and also the bascule moving machinery for the Lowestoft Bridge, in Suffolk. He practiced also as Beresford Hartwell and Associates and, in 1971 established a separate office in Wallington, South London.

In parallel with his design career, Geoffrey was first appointed as arbitrator in 1972 and his first foreign arbitration, an ICC appointment in Switzerland, took place later that year. He studied Law to Intermediate level and then transferred to the examinations of the Institute of Arbitrators (now Chartered) of which he became Chairman in 1996-1997 and for whom he taught in various countries on several courses, including the prestigious Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration.

Technical Expertise:

Electrical Engineering and Design Mechanical Engineering and Design Instrumentation Automation and Computer Control Systems Maritime and Infrastructure Engineering Process Engineering Solid Waste Handling

Communications Manufacturing Computer Cartography Moving Bridges and Lock Gates Construction Project Management Nuclear Energy Water and Waste Water Treatment

Arbitration: Geoffrey Hartwell also acts as an arbitrator and adjudicator, as an expert mediator and conciliator, as an expert investigator and assessor for arbitral tribunals, and also as a Special Referee in the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man. His services have been required in the UK and internationally.

Dispute Boards: Geoffrey Hartwell has experience both as Member and as Chairman of Dispute Boards?. He has been a member of Dispute Boards, retained from the beginning of a project or, alternatively, appointed on an ad hoc basis when a problem arises, Dispute Adjudication Boards to determine a binding decision, and on Dispute Review Boards to make decisions that are advisory but not binding.

Adjudication: Similar to arbitration, Mr. Hartwell adjudicates domestic and international disputes which are only temporarily binding unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.

View Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell's Consulting Profile.

Jason S. Kiddy, PhD, PE, CFEI, is a principal at Aither Forensics Engineering, LLC, a forensics consulting firm located in Maryland. Dr. Kiddy spent over 20 years in various industries prior to becoming a full-time expert witness. He has broad industry experience in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from which to draw extensive knowledge on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Kiddy holds eight U.S. and four foreign patents. His work experience includes the following industries:

Oil and Gas - Aircraft and Helicopter Design - Marine Structures - Telecommunications  

Dr. Kiddy has expertise in mechanical design, mechanical systems, hydraulics/pneumatics, plumbing / HVAC systems, corrosion, codes and standards, and warnings / instructions. He also has substantial experience in intellectual property matters ranging from invention disclosures, patent prosecution, and continuing through IP disputes. From a product design standpoint, Dr. Kiddy's experience includes all aspects of a product life cycle such as early stage R&D, product development and qualification, manufacturing, quality control, and failure analysis.  

Litigation Support - Dr. Kiddy regularly assists both plaintiff and defense parties with extremely competitive rates, timely service, and expert advice. As an expert witness, he has supported dozens of matters including opining on such topics as: product liability, construction defects, industrial equipment, premise maintenance and liability (slips, trips, and falls), and heavy equipment.

Areas of Expertise

Mechanical Systems Product Liability Premise Liability Plumbing Equipment Warnings and Instructions Codes and Standards Heavy Equipment Manufacturing Processes Slips, Trips and Falls High Pressure Systems Industrial Equipment

Fire Origin and Cause Hunting Equipment Construction Defects Intellectual Property Transducer and Sensor Design Shock and Vibrations Quality Control Systems Electro-Optics and Optical Sensing Thermal Testing Failure Analysis Product Life Cycle