Railroad Expert Witnesses

Transportation, Safety - Railroad, Passenger Trains, Commuter Trains, Freight Trains, Railroad Operations, Grade Crossing Accidents/Incidents, Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Train Derailments, FELA, Railway Safety Act

Railroad Expert Witnesses (REW), founded by Daniel O'Connell, specializes in providing expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiffs or defendants in railroad-related litigation. With a career spanning since 1978 in various roles across freight, passenger, and commuter trains, Daniel O'Connell brings extensive knowledge and experience to the table for a comprehensive evaluation of incidents. His expertise covers a wide range of areas, including railroad crossing incidents, employee and passenger fatalities or injuries. In recent years, Daniel O'Connell has taken on significant roles in expert witness cases, handling multiple active cases, conducting investigations, and producing reports in preparation for trial testimony. In addition to Railroad Expert Witnesses (REW), REW also encompasses Double Track Consulting (DTC), which emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially focused on delivering training to Conductors and Engineers across several railroads, DTC has si...

OSHA, Safety - forklift, slip trip fall, machine guarding, amputation, material handling, rack, aerial lift, boom lift, scissor lift, work zone, traffic, flagger, scaffold, ladder, lockout/tagout, Emergency Medical Services, mobile elevating work platform, excavation, railroad, MEWP, occupational safety & health

Retained in over 370 cases, state and federal. Deposition and trial testimony for matters in over 20 states. 30+ years experience in safety & health and OSHA compliance consulting & training for industry, construction, utilities, and emergency services. Frequent speaker at conferences and seminars - international, national, regional, state and local. Instructor for OSHA Training Institute Region 1 Education Center and Adjunct Faculty at Keene State College over 20 years, teaching OSHA standards & policies, technical topics, accident/incident analysis, and outreach trainer courses for both construction and general industry. Lead instructor for fall protection and scaffold courses. Safety Professional of the Year, Associated General Contractors of Connecticut, 2022. Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer for both construction and general industry. ATSSA Master Instructor. Experienced in: Personal injury, catastrophic injury and fatality cases; Occupational safety & health regulations,...

Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering - civil, railroad, accident, cranes, failures, foundations, structures, drainage, culverts, washouts, hydrology, concrete pump trucks, corrosion, chemical, industrial, building codes, inspections, construction, OSHA Compliance, swimming pools, structural, tornado, earthquake, railroad, highway, stone

Mr. Hlinka has worked over 40 years in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management market with experience in numerous industries: Chemical, Oil Refinery, Pulp & Paper, Adhesives, Nuclear Power Generation, Nuclear Feed Stock, and Steel. His work has overlapped with residential and commercial industries. Throughout his career he has engineered and managed a myriad of projects in these industries and has provided leadership to the various companies in the capacities of: Site Manager, Design Manager, Project Manager, Construction Supervisor, and currently as President. Design engineering, analysis, and inspection experience includes structural steel, reinforced concrete, stone, masonry, wood, and stormwater drainage.

Failure Analysis, Metallurgy - Derailment Investigation, Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), Professional Engineer (PE), Forensic Metallurgy, Railroad, AREMA Rail Testing, Mechanical Testing, Metallurgical Testing, Mechanical Engineering, Corrosion, API Fitness for Service (FFS) Evaluation

Brett has over 13 years of experience as a mechanical engineering and metallurgical consultant specializing in forensic metallurgy (failure analysis). He has a strong background in the rail industry, having participated in hundreds of derailment investigations and rail related failure analyses. Brett has earned international recognition for his failure analysis capabilities and has a wide range of experience, including: API Fitness for Service (FFS) Evaluations, field testing, mechanical/metallurgical laboratory management, legal expert witness services, and failure analysis for Rail, Food, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Medical, and Transportation industries. Brett obtained his Doctor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, has obtained Professional Engineering (PE) licensure in 48 states, and is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). He is an active member of ASM International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Natio...

Industrial Hygiene, Mold - Certified Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygiene, Exposure Assessment, Exposure, Occupational Exposure, Exposure Reconstruction, Historical Exposure, FELA, Railroad, COVID-19, Bioaerosols, Indoor Air Quality, Diesel Exhaust, Chemical, Sick Building,

Dr. Perez has served as an expert witness in over 100 cases and has extensive experience in writing expert reports as well as in providing oral deposition and trial testimony. He served as faculty at the Drexel University School of Public Health for 10 years. In this role he taught industrial hygiene and exposure assessment methods to public health graduate students. He also lectured on airborne contaminant exposure and environmental health to graduate engineering and medical students. He has conducted research in the fields of industrial hygiene and environmental health, published his results in the peer reviewed literature and presented his findings at various national and international environmental and occupational health conferences. He has been involved in international industrial hygiene work, lecturing and consulting in India and serving as an advisor to the government of Sri Lanka on issues of occupational health and worker exposure control. Based on his qualification...

Transportation, Security - hazardous materials, dangerous goods, chemicals, railroad, truck cargo tank, security, grade crossing, derailment, mechanical , signal, operations, track, locomotive, tank car, packaging, accident reconstruction and investigation, Federal Railroad Administration

BIOGRAPHICAL QUALIFICATIONS I am an expert in railroad safety and particularly in the hazardous materials (hazmat or HM) discipline of regulations contained in 49 CFR Parts 100-199 and also qualified to enforce Parts 200-299. I have worked in the industry for 57 years. My career began as a locomotive fireman and engineer on the Erie Lackawanna Railroad on September 6, 1967. I was subsequently promoted to Trainmaster-Road Foreman of Engines on the Consolidated Rail Corporation (aka, Conrail) in 1977. In 1983 was hired by the U.S. Department of Transportation / Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as a Hazardous Materials (HM) Inspector. In 1991 I was again promoted as a HM Specialist to the FRA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where I remained until my retirement at the conclusion of my government career in 2010. Since that time I have worked doing various consulting duties for railroads, railroad repair companies, other consulting companies, the government, and as an exper...