Polymers Expert Witnesses

Joseph H. Guth, PhD, CIH, has in-depth expertise in many fields of Toxic and Hazard Assessment, as well as a very broad background in both academia and industry. A Chemist and Biochemist, he is the President and Principal expert of Scientific and Forensic Services, Inc.

Background Experience - Having a broad range of in-depth experience in numerous fields of science, Dr. Guth has owned and operated several testing and R&D laboratories over a 50 year period, including nationally-known Interscience Research Inc. In basic and applied research, university teaching and finally as Laboratory Director, his scientific expertise was developed first-hand in the many specialties that his laboratories were called upon to perform.

Litigation Support - Dr. Guth has offered his independent expertise in 100s of civil and criminal cases since 1979. He has also been a consultant and peer reviewer for EPA and NIOSH. He currently specializes in Toxic Torts and related matters both inside and outside of the workplace. He has numerous regular nationwide clients in the legal profession and the insurance industry.

Attorneys throughout the U.S. have found Dr. Guth's ability to examine, test and evaluate their cases and the evidence to be invaluable. If desired he can provide multifaceted support for many kinds of cases. Examples of his broad expertise also involve such issues as Standards of Industry, state-of-the-art, duty-to-warn, warning labeling and applicable governmental regulations.

Services - Consulting, retrospective hazardous exposure assessments, site inspections and sampling, some testing and examination services, reports, research & development, and court testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

• CHEMISTRY - Analytical, Environmental, Inorganic, Metallurgical, Organic, Polymer, Biochemistry, Forensic, Atmospheric and Compressed Gases, Nuclear Chemistry, Food and Pharmaceutical Analysis; Water Testing, Industrial Process Troubleshooting
• INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE - Comprehensive Practice, OSHA Compliance, Toxicology, Carcinogen Exposure, Hazardous Exposure Risk Assessment, Exposure Modeling, Asbestos Issues, Lead Poisoning Issues, Pesticide Poisoning, Solvent Exposure, Indoor Air Quality Evaluation, Microbiology, Mold, Physical Stressors, Radiation Exposures, Safety Assessment, Material Safety Data Sheet Development
• MATERIAL SCIENCE - Properties and Strength of Various Materials, such as Metals, Plastics and Other Polymers, Glass, Textiles, Masonry, Construction Materials; Failure Mechanisms of Materials, Product Designs and Safety
• OTHER FIELDS - Labeling and Duty to Warn Issues, Quality Assurance Program Evaluations, Environmental Impact, Industry Standards, State-of-the-Art Issues, Governmental Regulatory Issues, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Requirements, U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission Issues, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Issues

Expert Background: Dr. Thomas L. Read is the Principal and CEO at A. Read Consulting, LLC. He received his PhD. from Stanford University in 1972 and has over 25 years of manufacturing experience in electronics, metallurgy, factory safety, failure analysis, glass fracture, glass failure and bottle failure. As a member of the electronics industry, he has earned process patents and has an extensive background in manufacturing techniques.

In parallel, Dr. Read has spent over twenty five years as a consultant to attorneys and engineers. He has given more than 100 depositions and has appeared in court numerous times.

Company Profile: Read Consulting, LLC is a full service laboratory providing services in the following areas:

Failure Analysis; Factory Safety and Personal Injury (including machine guards and manufacturing safety)

Glass Failure Analysis - Glass Fracture, Glass Failures and Bottle Failure

Metal and Ceramic Failure

Grinding Wheel Failures

Intellectual Property and Patent Disputes

Product Liability and Product Quality

Manufacturing Disagreements (such as Intellectual Property, Failed equipment and Contract Disputes)

Reverse Engineering

Ian C. Mellor, PE, SE, is a licensed Civil and Structural Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry.

Mr. Mellor has extensive experience in the evaluation and design of wood, steel, masonry, concrete, light gage steel, and fiber reinforced polymer structures. His background includes the seismic and structural evaluations of earthquake-damaged school buildings, modernization, and upgrade project of San Diego Unified School District and Department of Defense facilities, the evaluation and seismic rehabilitation design of historic theatres, and the seismic retrofit of unreinforced masonry buildings. Mr. Mellor was a member of the Haiti post disaster relief effort team that performed damage assessments for more than 200,000 units in and around the Port-au-Prince area.

Litigation Support - Mr. Mellor is skilled in Forensic Engineering for Construction Defect litigation claims, insurance claims cause and origin evaluations, and seismic evaluation and rehabilitation of existing buildings. He is available nationally and globally to evaluate damage to structures from natural disasters and from man-made causes and in providing repair drawings. Mr. Mellor's services include deposition and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Natural Disaster Earthquakes Hurricanes Flood Damage Evaluation Flood Repair Estimates Structural Damages Evaluation

Structural Repair Estimates Moisture Intrusion Fire Damage Evaluation Fire Repair Estimates Structural Collapse Foundations / Soils

Professional Licenses:

• California Structural Engineer
• California Professional Civil Engineer
• Nevada Civil and Structural Engineer
• Arizona Professional Civil Engineer
• Hawaii Structural Engineer
• Washington Civil and Structural Engineer
• Oregon Civil and Structural Engineer
• Virginia Professional Engineer
• Louisiana Professional Engineer
• New York Professional Engineer
• Model Law Structural Engineer Designation - National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (NCEES) Licensed in Utah, Colorado, and Texas

Deposition Experience:

• AAA v A-1 Budget Roofing – December, 2014 – 2 hours
• Solorio v Bisi – January 2017 – 5 hours

View Ian Mellor's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Richard F. Lynch has over 35 years of industrial experience in all areas of Metallurgical and Material Forensic Investigations, including 11 years with a major metals producing and processing company. He serves as an Expert Witness / Consultant on Steel, Nonferrous Metals, and Non-Metallic Materials. 

As a U.S. patent holder, Dr. Lynch has authored and/or presented over 60 technical papers on the properties and uses of galvanized steel, cast and wrought non-ferrous and ferrous products, pretreatments for painting metallic surfaces, product development and ASTM standards. 

Dr. Lynch's client base includes attorneys and companies requiring failure analysis, metallurgical testing, or assistance with end product manufacture, metallurgical processing, casting, galvanizing, zinc production, surface treatments, metallurgical process licensing, international metals research and market research. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Fracture
• Corrosion Failure
• Galvanized Steel
• Ferrous
• Nonferrous
• Polymers
• Composites
• Paint Failure
• Standards / Specifications
• Failure of Structural Materials, Fabricated Products, Fuel Tanks
• Surface Preparation
• Metal Pretreatments & Painting of Galvanized Steel

T. Rao Tipirneni has a M.S. in Metallurgy from Stevens Institute of Technology, with approximately 40 years of experience in Metallurgical Failure Analysis. He has been President of Long Island Testing Laboratories, Inc., specialists in Aerospace Metallurgical Testing, since 1985.

Litigation Support - Mr. Tipirneni provides expert testimony to counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include laboratory testing, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Inconel Turbine Blades Fasteners Automobile Engine Parts Boat & Aircraft Parts Weld Joint Failures Corrosion Pipe Failures

Accident Failures Ladders Hammers Hip Implants Rail Road Car Wheels Springs

Meyer R. Rosen FRSC, FAIC, CPC, CChE is a leading creative consultant for the Legal Profession, Specialty Chemical / Personal Care Industries. He is Founder & President of Interactive Consulting, Inc. (www.chemicalconsult.com). Meyer is a Forensic Litigation expert for both plaintiff and defense in hazardous chemicals, products liability, personal injury, fires and explosions, intellectual property and trade secret cases. He also provides Technical Marketing, New Business Development, Technical Consulting and Professional Editing services internationally to the Specialty Chemical, Personal Care, Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Allied Industries.

Meyer also has 15 years experience as a Professor of Fire Technology at Westchester Community College.

Mr. Rosen is Editor- in- Chief of Harry’s Cosmeticology, 9th Ed. A 2,600 page trilogy on all aspects of the cosmetic industry (www.harryscosmeticology.com)’ as well as being Editor-in-Chief for EuroCosmetics magazine (Germany).

Technology Expertise (Intellectual Property/Chemical Industry): Mr. Rosen provides consultation and litigation support in patent infringement, trade secret issues and licensing matters. His scientific areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

• Organosilicones: Surfactants, Emulsions, Foams, Antifoams, Silane Coupling Agents
• Water Soluble Polymers, Poly(ethylene oxide), Polyethylene Glycol, and Poly (acrylamide)
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry: Stability of Dispersions, Wetting & Spreading Phenomena, Suspensions & Emulsions, Clays, Paint & Coatings, Personal Care, Cosmetics
• Flocculating and Coagulating Agents
• Applied Rheology, Rheology Modification of Aqueous & Non-Aqueous Media

Certifications:

• Chartered Chemist and Fellow: Royal Society of Chemistry – London
• Nationally Certified Professional Chemist and Professional Chemical Engineer
• Certified Fire and Explosion Expert (Advanced Training)
• Fellow: American College of Forensic Examiners
• Fellow: American Institute of Chemists
• Diplomate: American Board of Forensic Examiners
• Diplomate: American Board of Forensic Engineering and Technology

View Meyer Rosen's Consulting Profile.

Radhakrishnaiah Parachuru, PhD, is a Textile Engineer with an MS degree in Decision Sciences / 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
• Technical Trouble Shooting
• Design and Evaluation of New Products
• Assistance for Product Diversification
• Training of Technical Staff
• Establishment of Quality Control Facilities and Routines
• Business Data Modeling and Analysis
• Miscellaneous Cost Saving Projects

Dr. Parachuru has also conducted basic research in the area of Textile Manufacturing and served as the main adviser of several graduate students who completed MS and PhD degrees in textile engineering. 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 include broad-based industrial consultation related to business data analysis and business intelligence. 

Litigation Support - Dr. Parachuru has been qualified as a Fiber / Textile Expert in dozens of civil and criminal 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 Textiles Technical Textiles

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

Envista Forensics is a global leader in Forensic Engineering & Recovery Solutions. They provide Cause & Origin, Failure Analysis, Fire and Explosion Investigations, Accident Reconstruction, Damage Evaluations and Equipment Restoration Services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has offered Consulting Services to the insurance, legal and risk management industries, as well as businesses, public entities, and universities for over 25 years. Their Experts travel globally from 30 offices located across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Australia and Singapore.

Envista's experience counts when equipment, systems, structures, or data have been threatened by catastrophe or litigation. Their experts and advisors determine cause and responsibility, and identify the nature and extent of damage or loss and provide a full range of solutions to protect their assets. Envista's technical professionals are trusted advisors and industry leaders. Their expertise is broad and deep, capable of withstanding all forms of scrutiny. Envista's services are available globally so that certainty is assured no matter where in the world it is needed. As the recovery from disasters has grown more complex, Envista has developed a comprehensive array of services to help their clients and has associates located around the globe to provide assurance no matter the type of loss or location of the disaster.

Envista helps attorneys quickly get to meaningful answers on the many technical issues at the center of a dispute. Their engineers have decades of experience working with both defendants and plaintiffs. They offer effective Expert Witness Testimony, with the ability to communicate effectively, build rapport with juries and judges, and maintain adherence to structured, methodical approaches in drawing conclusions are all extremely critical. Envista Forensics understands how critical the selection of an expert can be, and we understand what makes experts effective. Their court qualified experts have extensive experience providing expert testimony on a wide variety of engineering and technical matters.

Areas of Expertise:

Aviation & Aerospace Biomechanics Construction Defects Digital Forensics Electrical Injury & Electrocutions Causation Chemical Computer / Network Equipment Failure Construction Defect Disputes over Reparability of Damage Electrical Failure Equipment Restoration Fire & Explosion Analysis Equipment Restoration

Industrial / Manufacturing Equipment Materials Failure Mechanical Accidents Mechanical Failure Medical / Laboratory Equipment Product Failure / Liability Project Management Structural Failure Subrogation Utility & Energy Valuation of Structures or Equipment Vehicle Accident Investigation Workplace / Premises Accidents

View Envista's Consulting Profile.

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, cermets, 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.

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.

Edward S. George PE, has over 30 years of experience in the field of Product Liability and Failure Analysis.

Mr. George earned his BS and MS degrees from the University of Florida Department of Materials Science and Engineering, graduating with a specialty in metallurgy. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Florida. Mr. George is a member of The National Society of Professional Engineers, The American Welding Society, The National Association of Forensic Engineers, The Florida Engineering Society, American Water Works Association, and The International Society for Fall Protection.

Mr. George has experience in a variety of material failures including Metals, Polymers, Plastics, Composites, Ceramics, Glass, and Porcelain.

Litigation Support - A court-qualified expert, Mr. George has over 13 years of experience and has testified in depositions and trials. His forensic training is complemented by his industrial experience including:

• Heat Treating of Metals
• Welding and Joining of Materials
• Materials Testing and Evaluation
• Quality Control and Assurance
• Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopic Techniques
• Destructive and Non-destructive Physical Testing
• Laboratory Equipment and Procedures

View Edward George'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. He worked for the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin Laboratories prior to starting his own laboratory in 1995. Dr. Anderson 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. 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.