Thomas H Burtness, PE, CFEI Expert Witness
Curriculum Vitae

Contact this Expert Witness


Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

General Specialties:

Electrical Engineering and Equipment & Machinery

Keywords/Search Terms:

Lighting, Street Lighting, Parking Area Lighting, Illumination, Accidents & Injuries due to Insufficient Lighting, Photometric Site Surveys, Light Fixtures, Electrocution, Electrical Injuries and Wrongful Death, Electrical Construction Injuries and Defects, Contract Disputes, Fire Origin & Cause.

Education:

BSEE, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Years in Practice:

49

Number of Times Deposed/Testified in Last 4 Yrs:

25

Additional Information

Professional Engineer, investigator, consultant, detective, writer, teacher, expert. The breadth and depth of my technical knowledge as a Licensed Professional Engineer in 24 states and my hands-on experience as a former contractor and licensed electrician, as well as my helpful interpersonal skills, allow me to meticulously examine the numerous details of any case, to determine the pertinent root causes, and then to communicate complex technical issues on a practical level so that lay people, attorneys, judges, and juries can easily understand the relevant facts. Since 1983, I have provided expert witness and forensic engineering services to insurance companies and attorneys including accident and failure investigations, determination of fire origin and cause, litigation support, expert opinions, reports, and testimony in cases involving industrial accidents, electrocution, personal injury, fire, street and area lighting, equipment and machinery failure, safety circuitry failure, grounding, SCADA, lightning damage and fire, construction defects, design and specification disputes, and construction contract claims. I have 40+ years of experience in the design, specification, construction contract administration, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of electrical power, lighting, on-site generation, distribution, control and instrumentation systems, and equipment for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal occupancies; water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment plants; and military sites. A specialty is 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. Available nationwide, with PE registration by comity available in most states.