Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

I am a Licensed Professional Engineer in nine states with over thirty years combined experience in materials research, mechanical engineering and design, crash testing research and crash investigation and reconstruction, vehicle fire research and investigation, automotive mechanics and forensic mechanical and materials investigation. I hold degrees in mechanical engineering (BS) and materials science and engineering (MS). I work on a wide variety of forensic mechanical metallurgical investigations. These investigations have included but are not limited to an elevator failure involving materials and design issues, a personal injury involving a paper shredder, multiple cases involving farm equipment and personal injuries and / or fatalities, machine guarding cases, chair collapse cases, bolted joint failures, patient lifter failures, vehicle hand control issues, and tipped telehandler and boom crane cases. My automotive background coupled with my two degrees, extensive testing and research and continuing studies qualifies me for many aspects of vehicle mechanical failure investigation, crash investigation and reconstruction and vehicle fire investigation. Some of the cases investigated include a vehicle tie rod failure that triggered a cross over crash, multiple unintended vehicle acceleration cases and cases involving heavy truck brake failure. Since 2011, I have been involved with several different crash teams around the country and have been deeply involved in planning and executing low-speed and high-speed instrumented vehicle crash tests. Areas of Expertise Root cause analysis of mechanical incidents and failures Forensic Mechanical Engineering Investigations Crash Investigation / Reconstruction CDR (crash data retrieval, "black box", EDR) collection and analysis Vehicle Infotainment Data retrieval, collection, and analysis Chip-Off Data Collection and Analysis Toyota Record Data Retrieval and Analysis General Vehicle Repair Data retrieval, collection, and analysis Heavy Truck Data Retrieval, collection, and analysis Vehicle mechanical investigations Vehicle electrical investigations Vehicle fire origin and cause investigations Mechanical fire origin and cause investigations (structures)