Materials Failure Analysis Expert Witnesses: 23

Dr. Adam K. Aleksander, PhD, PE, CSP, has over 40 years of experience in the areas of Mechanical Engineering, Human Factors, and Safety Engineering. He combines both academic credentials and active work in industry to provide a grounded perspective in Product Liability, Industrial Incidents, Warnings, and OSHA related issues. He is also a VP of an Energy Services firm, with over 35 overseas assignments related to forensic services, power utility issues, and equipment failures.

Dr. Aleksander has been a practicing engineer since 1972, focusing his Manufacturing, Consulting and Forensic investigations on Problem Definition and Root Cause Analysis of complex problems in confidential issues. His firm has experience encompassing an enormous variety of claims, from large $45 million dollar dam claims, to environmental clean-up claims, to small road construction claims. His litigation services often involve reconstruction, perception reaction studies, warnings, equipment operation, mechanical failures, industrial accidents, skiing, and bicycling injuries.

As an Expert Witness, Dr. Aleksander has worked with many clients, including plaintiff's and defendant's attorneys, both civil and criminal, attorneys representing corporations, corporations in the power utility area, and corporations that produce products. His services are also available to insurance executives with complex claims issues that involve industrial or utility related losses. Dr. Aleksander has been retained over 125 times in a wide range of technical investigations.

Litigation Expertise:

• Product Liability - Design, Manufacturing and Marketing Defects, Involving Damage, Injury or Fatality
• Equipment Failures - Proximal Cause of Failure with Contributing Factors
• Human Factors, Visibility, Ergonomics, and General Research Issues - Product Usability, Warnings, Instructions, Perception, Reaction Time, Visibility and Conspicuity Issues
• Construction, OSHA, and Safety Engineering - Regulatory and Safety Issues
• Industrial Projects
• Power Utility - Service and Equipment Failures

View Dr. Aleksander's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Charles R. Anderson has long specialized in the Characterization of Surfaces, Interfaces, Thin Films and Coatings. Since 1972 he has applied surface and near-surface analysis techniques such as x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA) and Auger microprobe to the solution of surface chemistry and coating problems. 

Dr. Anderson worked for the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin Laboratories prior to starting his own laboratory in 1995. He served as an officer of the ASTM Committee E-42 on Surface Analysis and as U.S. Expert on several sub-committees of the ISO Technical Committee 201 on Surface Chemical Analysis. He especially enjoys integrating the results of multiple analytic techniques (surface analysis, thermal analysis, FTIR, SEM/EDX, optical microscopy)to solve tough materials problems.

Litigation Support -  Dr. Anderson has extensive experience in materials science as a result of solving the materials problems of many industries with the aid many analytical techniques. He is available to provide Expert Witness Services for legal matters involving Materials Failure, Intellectual Property Theft, Misrepresentation, Failure to Meet Contract Specifications, Materials Identifications and Characteristics, or Quality Issues. To ensure the accuracy and integrity of his testimony, Dr. Anderson and his staff independently analyze the relevant materials in most cases.

 View Consulting Profile.

Ole E. Haaland, PE, has thirty four years experience in Power Production, Design, Construction, and Commissioning, with 30+ years managing people and projects. Mr. Haaland's experience is in conventional, nuclear, and alternate fuel power plant mechanical and electrical systems. He has performed as Project Manager, Construction Manager, and Commissioning Manager for several Greenfield power projects.

Mr. Haaland held a senior reactor power operator's license and a number of senior engineering positions at the New York Power Authority prior to joining ANNA. Mr. Haaland received his BSME from the New York Institute of Technology and is a registered professional engineer in many states. He was recently elected to the EGSA Board of Directors for 2015-2017.

Litigation Support - Ole Haaland conducts root cause analysis investigations for counsel representing Plaintiff and Defense. When needed, he provides expert witness testimony for power plant design, construction, and operational failure issues and for parties involved in contract disputes.

Areas of Expertise:

Switchgear Voltage Regulators Turbine Generators Control Systems Hydro Generators Diesel Generators

Condensate Polishers Feed Water Heaters Main Condensers Moisture Separators Electrical Breaker Failures Operational Failures

View Ole Haaland's Consulting Profile.

Keith M. Cianfrani, MAS, CRSP, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, the founder and owner, has over 30 years of aviation experience. He is a master army aviator, aviation safety officer, commercial pilot, instructor pilot, and was an accident investigator for the U.S. Army Safety Center.

Background - Mr. Cianfrani is rated in both rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. As a safety officer, he has managed safety programs in organizations with over 100 aircraft stationed throughout 5 states. Mr. Cianfrani is currently an instructor for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Kansas State University. He is also presently attending Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) as a PhD Student in Aviation Science.

Mr. Cianfrani is a certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and has also worked in the civilian, commercial aviation industry. He has been flying for companies such as Petroleum Helicopters, Damin Aviation, Keystone Helicopters, Island Helicopters, and Chopper 6 and Chopper 3 in Philadelphia. He also has experience in the flight for life, aero medical evacuation industry.

Litigation Support - Keith Cianfrani specializes in Human Factors and Material Failure in Aviation Accident Investigations. He serves as an aviation safety consultant for the Federal Aviation Administration and FIT. An IS-BAO Certified Safety Auditor, he provides safety evaluations in accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations. His services are available nationally and internationally and include written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Pilot / Crew Performance Human Factors Maintenance Environmental Factors Meteorological Factors

Safety Training Material Factors Aviation Accident Reconstruction FAA Regulatory Compliance Safety Audits

View Keith Cianfrani's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Rolf Biernath, PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, and BChE, Georgia Institute of Technology) has over 35 years of experience in the Chemical Industry with a concentration on Polymer Science and Engineering and Material Science Fracture Mechanics. He worked in Materials and Processes at 3M for 31 years in senior technical roles developing materials, processes, and systems. His 58 US patents span a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines.

Litigation Support - Dr. Biernath is a Patent & Civil Liability Expert Witness having worked with in-house and outside attorneys in prior art searches. He's drafted claims and strategized claims in a variety of fields. He has written Expert Reports for Civil Liability, including material failure analysis, computer simulation, and manufacturing assessment. He is known for his ability to explain complex technical problems simply.

Areas of Expertise:

Adhesives and Tapes Polymer Engineering Failure Analysis and Prediction Electronic Displays (LCD, ePaper) Light Sources (LEDs, LASERS) Short-Wave InfraRed (SWIR) imaging

Applied Physics Metrology Optical Sensors Optical Films Mid-IR Sensors and Emitters Physics-based Digital Twins, Computer Modeling

Background Experience - Dr. Biernath has 58 Issued US Patents on new products and processes, including:

• Industrial Adhesives and Tapes – materials selection, development, automation, and tape application processes
• Electronic Materials – epoxy thermoset adhesives & application process, high speed electronic connectors
• Electronic Displays and optical display films, outdoor digital displays
• Microreplication and textured adhesives and processes, microfluidics, e-Paper
• Signage – retroreflective signage, license plate recognition, ADAS, and Human Invisible, Machine-Readable Coding System
• IoT and IIoT / Automatic and predictive selection and replacement

Dr. Biernath has expertise in stresses in planar systems due to a range of causes including, thermal expansion mismatch, humidity and solvent uptake or loss, and cure shrinkage. He understands assembly processes for tapes and adhesives including interpreting Technical Data Sheets, Application Data Sheets, developing test methods, and selecting materials.

View Biernath Consulting, Inc.'s Business Consultant Profile.

Michael A. Pollock, PE, USPTO, is a Mechanical Engineer responsible for the design and engineering of commercial, industrial, manufacturing, institutional, and residential venues, as well as efforts relating to services and products used in and around these facilities. Mr. Pollock's full CV can be viewed at cogentexpert.com.

Business and industries include electronics, safety and construction, building materials, polymers and plastics, instrumentation manufacturing, petrochemicals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, colleges, athletic facilities, textiles, coatings and resins, food storage, biosciences, supermarkets, inks & pigments, automotive, facility and real estate operations, agricultural, transportation, nuclear, healthcare, nutrition, retail, distributors, pulp and paper, packaging, utilities, apparel, and R&D centers.

Litigation Support - Mr. Pollock is a subject matter expert in Commercial and Industrial Engineering Applications and Projects, as well as engineering standards and applicable codes (ASHRAE, ASME, NIST, NFPA, NBIC, ASTM, SAE, LEED, ASCE, GMP, ISA, BOCA, and EPA Regulations.) He has engaged with local, state, and governmental officials and agencies regarding numerous matters over his commensurate years of experience.

Areas of Expertise:

Investment Engineering Economics Mechanical Engineering Standard of Care Architectural Standard of Care Construction Delay Construction Defect Construction Schedule Analysis Accident Analysis Metallurgical Failure Rotating Equipment Electrical Failure Chemical Failure Processes Instrumentation and Controls

Chillers Coatings Refrigeration Thermodynamics Water Treatment Steam Systems and Boilers   Power and Utilities Energy Conservation Environmental Impact Safety HVAC Project Management Product Development

Registrations

• Professional Engineer: PA (PE075410)
• American Bar Association (ABA) – Construction Forum
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air Act Certification – Universal (includes Chillers, HVAC & Refrigeration)
• United States Patent & Trademark Office Registered (USPTO)                              

Forensic Consulting Experience

Warehouse Distribution Facility – Maryland - Evaluated a $10M (million) claim relating to purported construction defect claims by the 600,000 sq. ft. facility owner against the facility construction contractor and an original equipment manufacturer relating to installed infrastructure in the facility. Developed an expert opinion and expert report regarding the analysis of the purported defects and a proposed repair solution to correct said defects. 

 Psychiatric Hospital Facility – North Carolina – Evaluated a $28M (million) construction claim by the general contractor against a hospital facility concerning a $100M facility construction project.  Developed an expert opinion and report for general construction issues, constructability, design revisions, and corresponding delay analysis for mechanical, HVAC, electrical, smoke and fire, structural, security and building automation systems. 

Forensics Consulting Work-in-Progress 

• 2022 – International Trade Commission (ITC) Matter – Resin Manufacturing Facility Construction Delay / Completeness Analysis
• 2022 – Mechanical Systems Coatings Matter Analysis
• 2021 – Industrial Manufacturing Facility Standard of Care Matter, Construction Defect, Construction Delay     
• 2021 – Electrical Distribution System Construction Defect Matter, Standard of Care
• 2021 – Hotel Facility HVAC Materials of Construction Related Defect Matter

David Morris has over 30 years of deep understanding and hands on experience of Construction and Construction Processes that give him a unique perspective in the industry. Having worked in many roles, Mr. Morris has the ability to formulate conclusions based on practical experience. Staying abreast of new technologies, he is able to apply them to outdated construction processes.

Mr. Morris has welding certifications in nearly all processes (MIG, TIG, Stick) and most materials, (Carbon Steel, Various grades of Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Chrome,). He has extensive experience in Instrumentation, Controls, Building automation Systems, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing Codes and Design, Drafting and Detailing, layout and quantity take-off, medical gas installation, Plumbing and Piping Detailing, Computer Aided Drafting, and BIM

Litigation Support - Mr. Morris serves as an expert witness for attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include onsite inspection, thorough reporting, depositions and trial testimony as needed. Cases include:

Construction Scheduling Root Cause Analysis Construction Defects and Delays Planning, Designing, Managing Construction

Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Coordination (MEP) Building Information Modelling (BIM) Computer Aided Drafting Initial Design, Construction, Operations, Maintenance

Select Background Experience:

• Prior to founding DMorris.consulting, Mr. Morris served as Director of Virtual Construction for EMCOR Construction Services from 2008-2016. In this role, he directed the virtual construction activities and operations of 82 EMCOR companies. His scope of work included drafting contract language for BIM and pre-construction, setting up new projects in lean and BIM delivery methods, and reviewing new construction technologies among other duties, Managing 3D and BIM processes
• From 2001-2008, Mr. Morris worked with University Mechanical and Engineering Contractors as Director of Virtual Construction. He was responsible for estimating Plumbing, HVAC Piping and Process Piping for numerous research laboratories and healthcare facilities valued at over 100mm + each. He also delivered conceptual estimates for numerous Biotech, Power, and Co-Generation plants.
• Select Project Participation: San Joaquin County Hospital, City of Gilroy Waste Water Reclamation Plant, Shafter Prison, Vandenberg Air Force Base HVAC Replacement, Space Shuttle Launch Complex Project, Tehachapi State Prison Level-4 High Security Prison Housing, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Co-Gen Facility, Kern Medical Center New Hospital Wing Expansion, Anheuser Busch Yeast Plant Expansion, and multiple Piping, Petrochemical, Hospital, and School projects.

*This Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems (MEP) Spatial Coordination Requirements for Construction Installation Models and Deliverables is a derivative work of a best practice guideline written by David Morris in 2003 and modified for the AGC BIMForum in 2009. It is the result of capturing ten years of practical methods on real world construction projects and reflects continual feedback and improvement gained from that process.

View Dmorris.consulting's Business Consulting Profile.

Randy Phares is an expert in Packaging, specializing in Corrugated, Crating, Baling, Shipping, Warehousing, Manufacturing Safety and Load Securement. He has over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in Packaging, Procurement, Shipping, Lean Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Productivity, and Business Improvement.

Since he began his career in 1990, Mr. Phares has held almost every job in packaging operations. These include manufacturing, distribution, sales, design, safety, transportation, and running entire multinational business units for a Fortune 1000 Corporation. He has worked on projects in Asia, Jamaica, Afghanistan, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, USA, and Canada.

Mr. Phares has run packaging testing labs, design centers managed fleets of trucks, manufacturing machinery, and managed world class packaging manufacturing operations. He is a published international author, and speaker who was the President of the South Texas Manufacturers Association. He is a Packaging and Procurement Subject Matter Expert since 2019 saving over $10 million for SGS-Maine Pointe the #1 Supply Chain Consulting Firm according to Consulting.us and one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms of 2022 according for Forbes Magazine.

Honors and Awards - Best Achievement of Organizational Business Improvement in Manufacturing Award presented by the Global Six-Sigma and Business Improvement Awards for an extensive plant turnaround for Temple-Inland (now International Paper). Best Performing Plant Award for 4 consecutive years out of 26 plants for Gaylord Container (now International Paper).

Litigation Support - Randy Phares is a leading Packaging and Load Securement Subject Matter Expert relied upon for his experience, knowledge, and in-depth understanding of packaging, logistics, manufacturing, distribution, freight, and intellectual property. He performs forensic analysis and testing of packaging failures, loading, unloading and distribution failures that caused damage or injury. His services include thorough reporting, depositions, consulting, and trial testimony as needed.  

Cases involve crated, palletized, banded or boxed products, or boxed products loaded in railcars, trucks, vans or parcel trucks, warehoused, transported (loaded, or unloaded), or injury using a pallet jack, forklift, or by hand.

 Areas of Expertise: 

Corrugated Packaging Folding Carton Packaging Boxes Crates Pallets Pallet Jacks Warehousing   Packaging Logistics

Packaging Distribution Manufacturing Load Securement Freight - Rail, Trucking, Air Packaging Workplace Safety Packaging Product Liability Packaging Intellectual Property Packaging Design

View Randy Phares' Consulting Profile.

Paul Eason is a Licensed Professional Engineer, Nationally Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator and Forensic Consultant. His expertise comes from a strong background in industry and academia. In addition to his consulting practice, he is a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of North Florida, and maintains a graduate faculty appointment in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the University of Florida. 

Dr. Eason has testified in numerous trials and depositions in the following practice areas: 

Product Design & Manufacturing Analysis - Metallurgy & Materials - Fire & Explosions - Industrial Accidents 

Areas of Expertise: Product Liability and Materials Failure Analysis, Product Defect & Safety Issues including: Metals, Plastics, Glass, Ceramics, Corrosion, Fatigue, Overload & Material Selection 

Fire and Explosion Analysis including: cause and origin determination, product related fire causation, industrial process accidents, dust explosions, welding / brazing accidents

Arun Kumar, Ph.D. has 45 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 10 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, household appliances and wildfire investigations involving utilities.

Engel Metallurgical LTD engineers and metallurgists offer laboratory testing services to determine Material Performance and Material Performance Expectation. All tests are performed according to government and/or applicable industrial standards, including ASTM, military, and other specifications.

Engel Metallurgical clients include attorneys, insurance company representatives and members of a broad range of industries, including chemical, agricultural, aviation, power generation, construction, transportation and manufacturing.

Litigation Support - Attorneys requiring reliable information rely on Engel Metallurgical. Les Engel and his team of specialists sort through intricate details of structural and material failures, accidents, manufacturing defects and other unexpected incidents that lead to lawsuits, with involvement from initial discovery through court appearances, if necessary. 

In 2003, Engel Metallurgical earned ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This accreditation officially recognizes Engel Metallurgical proficiency in quality and details, and helps ensure that its findings will carry more weight in clients’ litigation cases. 

Engel Metallurgical Ltd. is listed with the Minnesota Association For Justice (formerly Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association) as an expert in the field of metallurgy. Their engineers have extensive experience with deposition and trial. Their high ethical and scientific standards complement our expertise in providing sound, unbiased opinions on technical issues, including: Inspection: Equipment and Components Inspected on Site Failure Analysis:

Root Cause Failure Mode

Photographic Documentation Fracture Evaluations

Product Evaluation:

Quality Control Efforts Reverse Engineering Materials Certification Product Claims, Product Recalls Corrosion Resistance Coatings Selection

Product Replacement Non-destructive Testing Procedures Literature Searches US / Foreign Specifications Equivalents Material Property Design Limits

Principal, Lester P. Engel, Jr., PE, is a Metallurgical Engineer with over 40 years of experience leading the company's detailed, quality-focused testing and services. He oversees the company's lab, continually adding new equipment and techniques. 

Mr. Engel also has experience as the chief metallurgist for Brown Boveri Turbomachinery and as a metallurgical engineer for the Aircraft Engine Group of General Electric, where he focused on material selections for hot aircraft and marine gas turbine components. His GE career began in Nuclear Systems Programs, where his work included serving as the principal investigator on three NASA programs. 

Les Engel specializes in materials application, failure analysis, R & D program management, materials and process specifications, engineering standards and procedures, laboratory design and operation, data analysis and personnel, and budget management. He continues to personally perform failure analysis on aircraft and land turbines, generators, boilers, steel products, metals, cements, plastics, and other materials. With high ethical and scientific standards, Les Engel offers sound, unbiased expert analysis and testimony on technical issues. He provides expertise to insurance companies and counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant.

James A. Brusso, PhD, PE, has more than 20 years of experience in processing/properties of materials, materials characterization and behavior, materials specifications, mechanical testing, failure analysis, machining of materials, and laboratory design and operation. He is also Engel Metallurgical's Technical Manager and Quality Manager.

Dr. Brusso brings keen expertise to Engel Metallurgical and its clients, performing failure analysis; rendering expert opinions, giving depositions and testimony for litigation support; providing technical support for materials and process development and improvement; and developing and reviewing various product designs, materials, and process details.

Dr. Brusso has worked with Engel Metallurgical since 2000. Prior to that, he held several positions with The Timken Company in Ohio, where his responsibilities included establishing the company’s machinability testing laboratory, team leader for product development projects, managing the company's application metallurgical laboratory, and providing technical review of internal processing and testing standards to satisfy ISO 9000 / QS 9000 registration. 

View Engel Metallurgical's Consulting Profile.

Radhakrishnaiah Parachuru is a Textile Engineer with BS, MS and PhD degrees in Textile Engineering & MS degree in Applied Statistics. A multidisciplinary scientist, Dr. Parachuru possesses more than 35 years of teaching, research, and industrial experience in Polymer, Fiber, Textile, Apparel, Carpet, and other related disciplines. 

Serving as the coordinator of industry and public support activities at Georgia Tech, Dr. Parachuru has completed more than 180 applied research projects for the benefit of all segments of the Textile and Allied industries. Projects completed fall in the following categories:

• Product / Process Optimization
• Testing and Evaluation of all Types of Fiber Products Including Woven & Knitted Fabrics, Nonwovens, Carpets, and Technical Textilles
• Flammability Testing of Fabrics, Garments, Carpets and Nonwovens
• Application of Advances in the Materials Field, Especially Advances in Nano and Bio Materials for the Advancement of Fiber Product Industry
• Application of Performance Finishes to Fiber Products Through Wet Treatments
• Technical Trouble Shooting in Spinning, Weaving, Knitting, Dyeing, Printing and Textile Finishing Processes
• Design and Evaluation of New Fiber Products for Application in Medical, Construction, Transportation, etc. Sectors
• Assistance for Product Diversification
• Establishment of Quality Control Facilities and QC Routines

Dr. Parachuru has also conducted basic research in the area of Textile Manufacturing and served as the main advisor of several graduate students at Georgia Tech. He has been an active member of Fiber Society, AATCC, ASTM and TQCA. Dr. Parachuru currently serves as an active member of several AATCC technical committees and also as chairman of the AATCC committee on statistics. His current research interests are in the area of medical and industrial textiles. 

Consultation Services - Dr. Parachuru offers technical consultation to manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. His services cover the entire spectrum of the fiber product industry. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Parachuru has been qualified as a Fiber / Textile Expert after appearing as an expert in more than Forty court cases. His experience covers federal, state, and county courts in multiple states within the United States.

Areas of Expertise:

Polymers Fibers Yarns Fabrics

Garments Carpets Nonwovens  Technical Textiles Textile Testing

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:

Dams Storage Reservoirs Above Ground Tanks Elevated Tanks Treatment Plants

Digesters Pump Stations Pipelines Transmission Mains Underground Vaults

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

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. 

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 Electronic Vehicles 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 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 CPSC 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 Fire Control & Explosion Issues

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 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 Engineering Professor at the University of Michigan. He has directly served in Washington originating several Federal OSHA safety regulations, and interacts regularly with CPSC regarding safety and product recalls. Dr. Miller often works on projects relating to compliance with occupational safety standards, provides upper management guidance on product design, recall and liability issues, and serves as an expert witness.

Mark R. Lehto, PhD – Co-Founder Dr. Lehto is a Professor of Engineering at Purdue University. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Michigan, where he specialized in Human Factors Engineering, in particular Warnings and Labeling. Dr. Lehto 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.

Adam M. Olshove, PE, MSE – Engineering Manager Mr. Olshove has over 10 years of experience providing consulting services to industry and the legal profession. He holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on control systems and battery modeling (2019), and a BS in Mechanical Engineering (2012), both from the University of Michigan. He has performed dozens of on-site investigations nationwide in relation to consumer product design and industrial accidents, including failure analysis and testing.

James M.L. Miller, MS, PhD, EIT – Engineering Associate Dr. Miller is an Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. Dr. Miller graduated with a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2021, advised by Dr. Thomas W. Kenny. At JMME he has applied his expertise to biomedical heat transfer problems and energy management in hydroelectric systems, solar arrays and portable battery usage.

Jeffrey D. Rupp, MSE – Engineering Associate Mr. Rupp has a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS in systems engineering and engineering management from Wayne State University. Among his company affiliates is 26 years with Ford Motor Company and Volvo Car Corporation, where he was involved in crash development and crash sensing calibrations.

• BACKGROUND:

40+ years' experience including in product design, product development, and manufacturing in consumer, medical, and industrial product markets. Product innovation part-time academic since 2009, public speaker since 1985. Certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP) since 2008 by the Product Development and Management Association. Member of: Society of Plastics Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society for Quality. Expert witness services to Product Liability, Intellectual Property, and Commercial Dispute litigators.

• PRODUCT LIABILTY EXPERTISE:

Retained by both plaintiff and defense counsel. Specialize in personal injury cases involving product defects, manufacturing defects, product safety, engineering design, mechanical failures, material failures, product quality assurance, and foreseeable misuse. 

• CASE EXAMPLES:

• Retained in cases involving 3M, Honeywell, Clorox, Ace Hardware, and others. 
• 3M Combat Arms earplug case, retained by two plaintiff firms. More at, https://bit.ly/Forbes-on-3M Daubert ruling at, https://bit.ly/EPR-3MEP-Daubert (Page 98). Two depositions. (Plaintiff) 
• Furniture review of the state of competitive product safety, mechanisms, warnings. Counsel represented major insurance company. Settled after report. (Defense) 
• N95 mask commercial dispute, settled after report. (Plaintiff) 
• Consumer electronics patent infringement, settled after report. (Defense) 

• MORE INFO AT:

Expert witness services offered can be seen at, https://bit.ly/PDEWS Preferred contact: eric@pinnaclepi.com

Content above is a selection of work, current case history available upon request. Expert witness testimonials at, https://bit.ly/EPR-EWT

• EXPERT WITNESS PODCAST INTERVIEW