Playground Safety Expert Witnesses

Thousand Oaks, California

Education & Schools, School Safety - Standard of Care, Student & Staff Supervision, School Safety & Security, Playground Safety, Mandated Reporting, General & Special Education, IDEA / IEPs - Disabilities, Discipline Policies & Justice, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Human Resources, Wrongful Termination, Staff Dev'l & Trainings, Board Policies & Regulations

Introduction Dr. Jon D. Sand brings more than 35 years of direct pre-K–12 experience to his work as an independent educational expert and consultant. He earned his Doctor of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership from USC, a Master of Science in Special Education from California Lutheran University, and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. He holds the full complement of teaching and administrative credentials for his field and advanced certifications in district operations. His expertise spans general and special education; due process; special needs eligibility and case management; human resources; school site safety and student supervision; personnel evaluation; and district governance and operations. Dr. Sand is recognized for his depth in curriculum, instruction, and assessment and for an exemplary record at every level of the profession. He has served with distinction as a classroom teacher—selected as a National Teacher of the Year by the Amgen Foundation – master and mentor teach...

Huntington, New York

Safety, Property Management - Playground Safety, Premise Liability, Property Management, Playground Supervision, Slip Trips& Falls, Emergency Action Planning, Life Safety, Accident Prevention, Lighting, Property Inspections, Construction Safety

Mr. Andrew Sampson is a seasoned property manager and safety expert with 15 years of experience in construction oversight, operations, and risk management. His professional background spans office and retail construction, life safety systems, property inspections, asset management, and tenant/vendor coordination—primarily within Class A skyscrapers in Lower and Midtown Manhattan. Over the course of his career, he has conducted hundreds of safety inspections across complex, high density environments, ensuring compliance with OSHA standards, building codes, and industry best practices. Before entering the real estate and construction sector, Mr. Sampson served as a U.S. Navy Officer, where he gained extensive experience in operational safety, shipboard construction projects, hazard mitigation, and emergency response readiness. His responsibilities included supervising maintenance and repair operations, enforcing safety protocols, coordinating multi disciplinary teams, and ensuring co...

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania

Human Factors, Safety - Adolescent development, Behavioral science, Child development, Failure analysis, Slip trip & fall, Adolescent safety, Caregiver behavior, Child psychology, Playground safety, Adolescent behavior, Child safety, Children’s products, Pool safety, Adult supervision, Child supervision, Consumer product safety, Safety communication

Dr. Karol Silva is a human factors consultant with interdisciplinary training in child and adolescent development and public health. She holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Temple University and master’s in public health from Brown University and is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI). A significant portion of Dr. Silva’s work addresses child and adolescent safety, with particular attention to risk behaviors, cognitive and motor development, contextual factors, and the role of caregiver supervision. She also evaluates how factors such as risk perception and hazard awareness contribute to accident patterns across age groups, and how caregiver practices shape health and injury outcomes. She has conducted usability studies evaluating how children and adults interact with products in a range of environments. Her work considers human capabilities and limitations and the implications on product design, labeling, and safety communication. Dr. Silva has extensive expe...

Irmo, South Carolina

Human Factors, Premises Liability - Accident Prevention, Risk Management, Illumination, Conspicuity, Visual Perception, Slip resistance, Playground Safety, Premises Liability, Lighting, Line of Sight, Driver Distraction, Roadway Markings, Environmental Conditions, Slip-Trip- Fall Evaluations, Workplace Injuries, Human Factors, OSHA

Ellen Szubski, Ph.D., is the senior human factors consultant at The Warren Group. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Factors Psychology and a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Clemson University. Ellen is also a Certified XL Tribometrist, a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI), and a Certified Associate Human Factors Professional (AHFP). Ellen worked in the Clemson Visual Perception and Performance Laboratory examining the factors contributing to the conspicuity of pedestrians and bicyclists in challenging road conditions, such as nighttime driving. She did her dissertation on “The Influence of Pedestrian Biological Motion on Time-To-Collision Estimates at Night”. Prior to entering the forensic field, Ellen planned and conducted experiments for a major bicycle manufacturer that improved bicycle conspicuity. She also conducted laser strike perception and performance studies for the Department of Defense. Ellen applies her experience in Human Factors t...