Challenge Course Expert Witnesses

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Athletics & Recreation, Risk Management - zip line, zipline accident, zipline braking, zipline brake system, zipline construction, zipline death, zipline safety, residential/backyard zipline, zipline standards, ANSI/ACCT Standards, aerial adventure course, aerial adventure course standards, ropes course, challenge course, climbing, ACCT, ASTM, NAARSO, ASTM F2959, zipline expert

Michael R. Smith is an industry-recognized expert in zip lines, challenge-course, and aerial-adventure-park design, operations, and risk management, with more than three decades of experience in the field. He is regularly retained by plaintiff and defense counsel to provide expert-witness services, accident investigations, and standards-compliance opinions under ASTM F2959, ANSI/ACCT, PRCA. and related industry standards. Mr. Smith is the principal of AdventureSmith, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in risk management, technical inspections, operational audits, staff training, and business development for adventure-tour operators. From 2009 to 2023, he also served as founder and managing partner of an award-winning zip line canopy tour and aerial adventure park operations in Vermont and Tennessee. He holds a B.A. in Wilderness Leadership from Prescott College (1998) and a Master’s in Training and Development from Oakland University (2004). Mr. Smith currently serves on the ...

Cedar Hills, Utah

Premises Liability, Slip Trip & Fall - Playground Incidents, Amusement Parks, Trampoline Courts, Ziplines, Ropes Course, Indoor Playgrounds, Play Spaces, Trampoline Parks, Zip Line, Trampoline Injury, Product Liability, Standards Compliance, Certified Trainer, Challenge Course, Soft Contained Play Equipment, Playground Injury, Soft Contained, Children's Playground

Peter Jay, JD, MBA is an amusement industry expert witness and licensed attorney who spent nearly a decade as the owner-operator of Coconut Cove Indoor Playgrounds, serving approximately 275,000 visitors across two locations and a franchise. His hands-on experience implementing ASTM and soft-contained play standards in daily operations — combined with his legal background and active ASTM F24 voting membership — gives him a perspective no career inspector or engineer can offer. Mr. Jay is a Certified Instructor, Member, and Contributor in the PRCA (Professional Ropes Course Association) and a Participate in the ACCT (International Association of Challenge Course Technology). He has assisted as an expert in trampoline park, zipline, and indoor playground matters, providing standard-of-care analysis, site inspections, discovery support, and expert reports. At MIT Experts, he also has a team of engineers to assist in matters, if needed. Available for plaintiff and defense engagements na...

Santaquin, Utah

Risk Management, Structural Engineering - Zip line, Trampoline Park, Amusement Park, Design Engineering, Mech. Engineering, Risk Management, Aerial Adventure, Challenge Courses, Aerial Attractions, Ziplines, Trampoline Courts, Zipline accident, Trampoline Injury, Training, Product Liability, Amusement Rides, Certified Trainer, Challenge Course, Manufacturing, Products

CORE COMPETENCIES • Design analysis, engineering analysis, and failure analysis • Manufacturing, welding, machining, fabrication, and construction oversight • Third-party audits, inspections, and operational assessments • Inspection protocols, maintenance review, and documentation review • Manufacturer-guideline analysis, standards interpretation, and regulatory compliance • Staff training review, supervision analysis, and risk-management evaluation • Technical writing, expert reports, discovery support, and standards rationales PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE M.I.T. Experts (Momentum Innovation Technologies), Founder and Principal — 2026 to Present • Provides subject-matter expert witness services involving amusement rides, attractions, and related safety systems. • Applies experience in design, fabrication, operation, inspection, and risk management to plaintiff and defense engagements. • Performs design review, failure analysis, standards review, documentation analysis, and litigation s...