Design Expert Witnesses
Design expert witnesses and consultants listed here may be able to form expert opinions, draft expert witness reports, provide expert witness testimony at deposition and/or trial as or serve as consulting (non-testifying) experts on design. The design expert witness listings on this page are typically from fields/areas of expertise such as: Accident Reconstruction, Architecture, Automotive, Biomechanics, Chemical Engineering, Construction, Construction Defects, Electrical Engineering, Energy, Engineering, Equipment & Machinery, Failure Analysis, Firearms & Ballistics, Industrial Design, and Intellectual Property.
David J. Brotman, FAIA
Sunset Consultants
Scottsdale, Arizona
Architecture, Construction
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Standard of Care, Construction Document, Real Estate, Slip trip & fall, Trip & Fall, Delay, Defect, Change Order, Building, Design, Coordination, Code Compliance, Contract Document, Management, Contract Administration, Architectural Detailing, Commercial, Retail, Hotel, Office
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects with over fifty years of experience. Twenty-five years with RTKL Associates Inc., one of the World’s largest Architect and Engineering Firms, and served as its Vice-Chairman. Past Planning Commissioner on the City of Malibu Planning Commission. Skills include all facets of Architectural Practice. Worldwide, multi-million dollar project experience includes retail, office, hotel, institutional, and mixed-use. Recently, qualified and served as a Standard of Care, Coordination, and Delay Expert in a case involving a major retail project. This included deposition and trial testimony.
James Caylor, PE
Caylor Engineering & Associates, PLLC
West Fork, Arkansas
Refrigeration, OSHA
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Industrial process refrigeration, cold storage, ammonia, carbon dioxide, piping, insulation, design, design review, OSHA, EPA, mechanical code analysis
I have 15 years' experience as a refrigeration contractor, followed by 18 years' experience as a graduate engineer in industrial refrigeration ammonia and CO2 applications up to 5,000 TR. My engineering experience includes design and project management positions with a D/B contractor, a large food processor, an A&E firm (Deputy Director of the Food & Beverage Group) and my current consulting business. I'm registered as a PE in 11 states and have an NCEES Record.
Current committee service includes the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (Standards-CM and Government Relations-VM) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (Std 15, TC 10.1, TC 10.3 and TC 10.5; VM on all). I have revised portions of chapter 2 in the 2014 and 2018 editions of the ASHRAE Refrigeration Handbook and am completing calculations of CO2 piping capacities in chapter 3. My work with the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association includes vice pres...
Joel Delman
Informed Innovation Inc.
Los Angeles, California
Industrial Design, Intellectual Property
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Design, Design Patent Infringement, Design Patent Validity, Utility Patent Infringement, Utility Patent Validity, Patent Litigation, Trade Dress Infringement, Trade Dress, Secondary Meaning, Functionality, Likelihood of Confusion, Product Design, Industrial Design
Formerly a corporate lawyer, I graduated Harvard Law School and later earned a Master's in Industrial Design at Pratt Institute. From toys to complex medical devices, I've spent the past 28 years guiding innovation through strategic product development, and have helped hundreds of clients bridge the elusive gap between creative insight and commercial success.
As design consultant to a broad range of markets and industries, I keep my finger on the pulse of critical trends in consumer electronics, medical devices, transportation, IOT, toys, and a host of other product categories. With clients including LG Electronics, Swingline, Kimberly Clark, Olympus, Qualcomm, Novartis, Fisher Price, Blackberry, Dell, Intel, Disney and Hallmark, I bring that foundation of understanding to my work as design expert witness, and it has proven invaluable to developing effective litigation strategies and legal arguments.
Designers think in such a unique way that it's been coined “Design Thinking,” whi...
Richard K. Pumerantz, PhD
Guns and Ammo Witness Consulting
Lake Arrowhead, California
Firearms & Ballistics, Accident Reconstruction
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firearm, ammunition, ammo, ballistic, gun, cartridge, bullet, projectile, manufacture, load, weapon, antique, reconstruction, training, design, engineering, forensic, shooting, crime, scene
• Court recognized as an expert in Firearms, Ammunition, and Crime/Shooting Scene Reconstruction.
• Licenses: Type 10 FFL (Manufacturer of Destructive Devices), Special Occupations Tax Stamp, and all Dangerous Weapons Permits available from the State of California, DOJ.
• Ongoing resource/consultant to numerous reloading equipment, projectile, and firearm manufacturers, including the areas of safety, training, and design flaws.
• Designed and manufactured firearms and fire control systems.
• Certified and testified in crime scene reconstruction and shooting accidents.
• Recognized in the firearms industry as an expert in antique and replica cartridge development and manufacturing, including the production of proof loads. “Official” ammunition benchmark for half a dozen firearm manufactures.
• Provide educational opportunities on the ammunition manufacturing process and corresponding toolmarks for law enforcement agencies, specifically for their crime lab and firearm unit techn...
Joe F Scerbo
Trusted - Specialty Construction Expert
Livermore, California
Construction Defects, Energy
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General Construction, Framing, Building Envelope, Waterproofing, Electrical, Commercial, Residential, HVAC, NFPA, Generators, Design, Solar, Fire, Gas, Hybrid Water Heaters, Contract Scope, Cost to Repair, Industrial Controls, Electrocutions
Joe Scerbo is a seasoned senior consultant and expert witness with over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, including 23 years as a licensed General, Electrical, and HVAC Contractor in California. His extensive background encompasses a wide range of expertise in Building Envelope, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) disciplines, providing a well-rounded foundation for his work.
Mr. Scerbo has dedicated his career to delivering precise, unbiased, and credible insights, including expert testimony in legal proceedings. As a trusted construction consultant and expert in construction defect litigation, he offers comprehensive services such as cost evaluations, coverage determination, project management, construction defect analysis, code and industry standards review, litigation support, and peer review. His experience spans various sectors, including single-family, multifamily, hospitality, and commercial construction, making him a valuable asset in resolving co...
Sanford Kaminsky, AIA, NCARB
m2e Consulting Engineers
Miami - Coral Gables, Florida
Architecture, Construction Defects
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Standard of Care, Failure Analysis, Construction Documents, Defect, Change Order, Building, Design, Condominium, Hospitality, Casino, gaming, Code Compliance, Contract Document, Field Management, Contract Administration, Commercial, Highrise, Retail, Hotel, Condo-Hotel
Member of The American Institute Of Architects, and Nationally Board Certified, With Over Forty Years Of Experience. Multi-Billion Dollars of Experience Both Designed and Constructed. Skills Include All Facets of Architectural Practice, Including Condominium Defect Mitigation That Would Dismantle A Class Action Lawsuit. Worldwide Project Experience Includes Retail, Office, Hotel, Institutional, Aerospace and Mixed-Use. Deposed On Standard Of Care, AHCA Regulations Regarding The Design Of A Class III Operating Room, And A Wrongful Death Based On My OSHA Certification.
40+ years experience in construction defect litigation support and expert witness services for both plaintiff and defense attorneys. Experienced in field investigations, Failure Analysis water intrusion analysis, specialty construction methods, development of repair methodologies and de-watering techniques, trial preparation and expert witness testimony. Projects include commercial and high rise in California, Nevada, ...
Louis Vanacore, PE, PMP, CxP, CMRP
J.B. Shepherd and Company
Marianna, Florida
Engineering, Construction
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Management, Causal Analysis, Quality, Reliability, Safety, Design, Project Execution, Commissioning
LICENSES / CERTIFICATION:
Florida Registered Professional Engineer License 14569
Project Management Professional (PMP) 1360434
Building Commissioning Professional Certification (BCxP) 8257201
Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) 151868
Florida General Contractors License CGC004831 (not active)
Louis Vanacore is a Senior Associate Engineer with J.B. Shepherd and Company. Louis practices in the intersection of quality processes, design requirements, and management controls. Using a combination of awareness of system methodologies, human motivations, causal examination; a root cause for operational accidents, or product failures can be established. Louis’ broad and diverse experiences enable him to relate disparate information to establish the sequence of decisions, conditions, and actions which precipitate incidents.
Louis’ experiences range from significant Federal government energy, military, and civil programs, industrial manufacturing, industrial proc...
Lester Weitman
Lester Weitman Consulting, LLC
Coral Springs, Florida
Automotive, Products Liability
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wiring, electrical, fire, defect, design, failure, electronics, battery, motor, module, engineering, connector, instrument, cluster, speedometer, HVAC, charging, alternator, starter, validation
Providing Expert Witness and Failure Analysis services for design, manufacturing or assembly defects and preventable errors. Will uncover root cause(s) of product defects to identify culpable party. My credible and clear Expert Reports and depositions have been key in achieving successful out-of-court settlements for my fire subrogation clients. Expert in Failure Analysis and Forensic Engineering of automotive electrical fires and accidents caused by electrical, wiring or electronics due to defects, design flaws or assembly errors. M.I.T. BSEE (ME minor), UD Mercy (MIT curriculum) MS in Product Development and Systems Engineering, and UD Mercy EngD Doctoral coursework completed. Over forty years of automotive electronic and mechanical product design, development, manufacturing and field failure analysis experiences. A Six-Sigma Black belt trained strategic and systems thinker, achieved millions of dollars in cost and quality improvements by designing and launching various elect...
Mari S Truman, MS, PE
OrthoBioMech LLC
Warsaw, Indiana
Biomechanics, Medical Devices
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Occupant Motion, Injury Biomechanics, Orthopedics, Medical Product Liability, Duties of Manufacturer, Design, Testing, Manufacturing, Warnings, Instructions for Use, Injury Event Reconstruction, Failure Analysis, Injury Pattern, Soft Tissue Injury, Low Speed Collisions, Falls, Impacts, Sports
Licensed Professional Engineer
Medical Device Design & Development
38+ years orthopaedic device development
12 patents
Testified in State and Federal Courts , Injury Biomechanics and Medical Device Litigation
20+ trials
100+ depositions
38 years of experience in the biomechanics and orthopedics fields, 16 years forensic case analyses.
I routinely deal with forces that are applied to the human body during many activities, including impact and injury scenarios. To assure the safety and efficacy of new medical devices, we define clinically relevant performance requirements for their installation and use, and then test to define the product specific performance characteristics. The physical principles and methods used in orthopedic biomechanics are the same as those used to reconstruct injury events. I am familiar with forces and loads applied to the hips, knees, wrist, shoulder, head, neck, lower back and skeleton in many typical activities, including sitting, walking, jumpin...
David Alley, PE
ANNA Inc.
Annapolis, Maryland
Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
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electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, power plant, nuclear, gas, oil, coal, marine, design, commissioning
SUMMARY
Electrical Power Plant Consulting Engineer and Project Manager experienced in
• Switchgear, protection and control systems design, installation, startup,
commissioning, performance testing and troubleshooting for
• cogeneration, hydroelectric, geothermal, combustion turbine, steam
turbine, diesel, gasoline and gas fired reciprocating engines and nuclear
power plants and related equipment and systems for
• power plant owners, facility owners, utilities, U. S. Navy, U. S. Air Force,
US Coast Guard, MSC, environmental engineers, power system component manufacturers and switchgear & control systems manufacturers
• Forensic expert witness and consultancy related to electrical engineering in electric power systems.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
• MBA, Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 1983-1985.
• BSEE, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 1968-1972
LICENSES
Registered Professional Electrical Engineer, in as ...
Ole E Haaland, PE
ANNA Inc.
Annapolis, Maryland
Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
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electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, power plant, nuclear, gas turbine, generator, engineering, relays, design, contractor, commissioning, marine, Electrical Power, Utility, Power, Electrical Generation, Generation
SUMMARY
Mr. Haaland has thirty four years experience in power production, design, construction, and commissioning, with 27 years managing people and projects. He is a registered professional engineer in Maryland and held a Senior Reactor Operator’s license at Indian Point #3 Nuclear Power Plant. Experience is in conventional, nuclear, and alternate fuel power plant mechanical and electrical systems management, design, construction, plant outage management, start-up, performance testing, and operation. He has performed as Project Manager, Construction Manager, and Commissioning Manager for several Greenfield power projects. He has successfully engineered, estimated, planned, executed work, and provided troubleshooting services for power plants of varied prime movers. His has been instrumental in meeting contractual and schedule requirements.
EDUCATION AND COMMITTIES
BSME, New York Institute of Technology, 1980
IEEE-45.1 Shipboard Power Systems – Design Committee
ASSOCIATIONS...
Chris Scott, PhD
Material Answers LLC
Weston, Massachusetts
Chemical Engineering, Failure Analysis
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polymer, plastic, rubber, coating, materials, material science, material engineering, thermoplastic, thermoset, composite, design, manufacturing, adhesive, ink, automotive, medical device, aerospace, packaging, accident, defect
Dr. Chris E. Scott is President of Material Answers LLC. He specializes in material structure, properties, and processing. His work emphasizes thermoplastics, thermosets, blends, composites, and multicomponent formulations. He has extensive experience with manufacturing, product development, product design, and failure analysis. Systems investigated include plastics, composites, coatings, paints, adhesives, rubbers, fibers, suspensions, emulsions, and pastes. In particular, Dr. Scott has published extensively on the topics of polymer processing and structure relationships, compounding and mixing in multiphase polymer systems, and structure and morphology development during polymer processing. He is the inventor on 11 U.S. patents, author of more than 30 articles in peer reviewed journals, author of 40 conference proceedings, and has presented more than 50 seminars to industry and government organizations.
Dr. Scott has conducted failure analysis investigations and developed p...
Robert (Rob) C Hoffman Jr, PE, CFEI
Design,Product Safety, Risk Assessment, Fire
Creative Product Solutions, LLC
Coloma, Michigan
Engineering, Safety
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fire, shock, burn, appliance, product, design, test, code, safety, failure, analysis, warning, instruction, literature, product safety, containment, inspection, litigation, product liability, expert
Specialize in design for safety, force failure testing, and product litigation support for the consumer goods industry. Knowledge source in the US on appliance fires, with specific detailed knowledge on dryer fires and their causes.
Qualifications:
Registered professional engineer in the state of Michigan
Certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI)
Master certified in design for safety
Master certified in force failure testing
Certified in experimental statistics and statistical process control
Member of the UL Standards Technical Panel for appliance codes related to clothes washers and dryers
I worked in the consumer goods industry in appliances for over 28 years, which gave me the opportunity to serve on the dryer safety committee for the American Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), as well as work extensively with Underwriters Laboratory ( UL) and CSA.
Recognized as a significant knowledge source in the US on dryer fires and their causes, I was instrumental in the deve...
Adam Edmonds, BSME, CPO, FAAOP
Failure analysis of prosthetic and orthotic device
Springfield , Missouri
Failure Analysis, Prosthetics
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Design, Manufacturing, Orthotics, Train
I am a Prosthetist, Orthotist, and mechanical engineer specializing in design, fabrication, and training in the proper use of custom and off-the-shelf orthoses and custom prosthesis. My strengths include designing custom, manufactured, 3D printed devices to improve patient outcomes, training and equipping other professionals in the field. I systematically investigate causes of device malfunctions, failures in order to improve design, patient safety, and enhance device performance and longevity.
Experience
Cox Health Center for Prosthetics & Orthotics, Springfield MO 2014 - Present
Certified Prosthetic & Orthotic Clinician
Design, fabricate, and train in the use of prosthetic and orthotic devices.
Clinically mentored and assisted in gaining accreditation for 4 colleagues.
Served as a 3D Printing Computer Aided Designer and Manufacturing Engineering Specialist
Presented as a featured speaker for the Innovation Accelerator and Leadership Development Institute, CoxHealth Trauma C...
Jon Washington, BSME, MBA, PMP
Engineering, Design, Manufacturing & Patent Expert
The Innovation Garage, LLC
Clinton, Ohio
Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
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Automotive, Aerospace, Gaming, Casinos, Financial Self Service, Manufacturing, Design, Systems, Polymers, Plastics, Barriers, Security, Software, Metal Forming Processes, Patent Process, Business Process, Operations, Medical Devices, Supply Chain, Consumer Products
Jon Washington is currently Founder and Proprietor of The Innovation Garage, a company he has run since August 2012. The Innovation Garage is a consultancy that provides education, tools, technology, and expert consulting in change management for strategy, innovation, and supply chain.
The Innovation Garage works with organization leadership teams to help design strategy, build internal capability, and execute systems and solutions by providing education tools, and technology. The client base includes start up, not for profit, and globally recognized publicly traded organizations including several global fortune 500. Since founding the organization in 2012, The Innovation Garage has worked with 75+ global organizations and Mr. Washington has personally trained over 1,500 leaders and their extended internal team members.
In addition to his role at The Innovation Garage, Mr. Washington consults with organizations across many industries and sizes including start-ups, mid-market priva...
Scott J. Anson, Ph.D., P.E.
Forensic Engineer - University Professor
Anson Engineering, LLC
Harleton (Longview), Texas
Mechanical Engineering, Failure Analysis
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Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Failure Analysis, Forensic Engineering, Manufacturing, Design, Warnings - Marketing Defect, Oil & Gas, Metallurgy, Stress, Root Cause, Safety Hierarchy Application, Lab Analysis, Inspection, Firearms, Electronics, Field Investigation, Fracture, Golf Cart, ATVs/UTVs
Dr. Scott Anson has been practicing and teaching engineering for over 28 years. The first 8 years were in industry engineering roles involving process development and tooling design, as well as extensive laboratory failure analysis. During his over 20+yr. academic career he has held multiple industry appointments simultaneous with his academic role, in addition to his independent consulting work.
He provides forensic engineering services involving product design, manufacturing defects, and warnings/instructions (marketing defects).
He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Texas and Louisiana and has an active NCEES record to facilitate licensing in other states.
Dr. Anson has complementary skills in four key dualities that uniquely enhance his effectiveness in forensic engineering and expert witness services.
1) He is formally trained and experienced in both Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering, which enables him to assess both mechanical overstress and ma...
Rance Herren, CFPSD, AI
Hydraulic Fluid Power Subject Matter Expert
Houston, Texas
Engineering, Equipment & Machinery
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Hydraulic Consultant, Hydraulic Systems, Pneumatic Systems, Hydraulic Pumps, Hydraulic Cylinders, Hydraulic Motors, Valves, Hydraulic Hoses, Hydraulic Manifolds, Motion Control, Design, Accumulators, Compressors, Schematics, Seals, Filtration, Pressure, Construction, Mining, Oil & Gas
Nearly four decades of experience in the design, application, implementation, troubleshooting and service of complex hydraulic and pneumatic systems and related control components, including:
• The use of standard and electrohydraulic components and circuitry in machine control
• Integration of electronic devices for actuator control, including feedback and diagnostics
• Manifold design, 3D solid modeling, and hydraulic circuit and component simulation and analysis
• Hydraulic power unit (HPU) and closed-circuit hydrostatic transmission system design
• Efficiency and throughput improvements for underperforming systems
• Troubleshooting and repair of hydraulic/pneumatic machine control components and systems
• Interpretation and implementation of ISO/SAE/ANSI/ASME fluid power standards
• International Fluid Power Society Credentials:
- Certified Fluid Power Systems Designer (CFPSD), February 2012
- Certified Fluid Power Accredited Instructor (CFPAI), August 2013
...
Khalid Sorensen, PhD
Robotics & Automation Technology Founder
Finity Engineering LLC.
College Place, Washington
Mechanical Engineering, Intellectual Property
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Automation, Robotics, Machine, Design, Mechatronics, Dynamics, Motion Control, Vibration, Segway, Product Liability, Machine Vision, Sensors, Traction, Tire Mechanics, Cranes, Warnings, ASRS
Twenty years of experience developing and implementing mechatronic, motion control, and automation technologies. Founder of a motion-control technology company where the industry-recognized motion-control technologies were key drivers in the acquisition of his company 5 years after inception by a global leader in automation.
Served as CTO at a world-class supplier of large-scale automation, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear handling solutions. Responsibilities include providing technical oversight of critical projects; identifying and mitigating areas of high technical risk; leading in the creation of cutting-edge control, automation, and robotic technologies; directing R&D efforts; managing the business’ technology portfolio; and disseminating and facilitating the use of best-practice engineering methodologies.
Adjunct Associate Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he lectures on various engineering topics. These include: Dynamics, Advanced Controls, Vibratio...
