Caltrans & Public Works Standard-of-Care Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Jason Bennecke, PE, MBA, PMP is a California Licensed Civil Engineer with more than 35 years of experience in civil engineering, public works, transportation infrastructure, and Caltrans project delivery. He has designed, managed, reviewed, or delivered dozens of major roadway, interchange, bridge, drainage, and public infrastructure projects throughout Southern California. His expertise spans every phase of public works delivery, including planning, PA/ED, PS&E, right of way, utilities, drainage, pavement, staging, traffic control, and construction oversight. Mr. Bennecke specializes in standard-of-care evaluations for public agencies, consultants, and contractors, including compliance with Caltrans standards, manuals, procedures, milestone requirements, documentation rules, cooperative agreements, design exceptions, design submittals, and certification processes. He has extensive experience interfacing with Caltrans District 8, Riverside County, SBCTA, RCTC, and multiple California cities on federally funded and state-oversight projects. His areas of expertise include roadway design, freeway and interchange geometrics, pavement design and failures, drainage and hydrology, erosion, grading and earthwork, utility conflicts, right-of-way engineering, traffic safety, sight distance, ADA compliance, signing, striping, stormwater conveyance, and work-zone operations. He frequently handles cases involving construction defects, contractor disputes, CPM schedule delays, change order controversies, inadequate documentation, unsafe roadway conditions, flooding events, and personal injury incidents involving public infrastructure. In addition to his engineering background, Mr. Bennecke brings executive-level insight as the former CEO/CFO of a 45-person engineering and construction management firm, where he oversaw staffing, budgets, financial operations, contracting, and quality management on complex public works programs. He is also a Licensed General Contractor, Licensed Real Estate Broker, Project Management Professional (PMP), and FAA-certified Private Pilot and Remote Pilot, giving him a uniquely broad and multidisciplinary perspective. Mr. Bennecke is known for delivering clear, defensible, and well-supported opinions. As a three-time Amazon #1 bestselling author and experienced public speaker who has conducted more than 200 formal presentations, he excels at communicating technical issues to judges and juries in a clear and compelling manner. He is available for plaintiff and defense cases nationwide and offers case review, standard-of-care assessments, construction defect analysis, roadway safety evaluations, drainage/flooding causation analysis, document review, delay and cost analysis, depositions, trial testimony, site inspections (including drone-based inspections with 3d modeling), and expert reporting. Remote testimony and virtual consultation are available.