Finite Element Analysis Expert Witnesses

White Heath, Illinois

Mechanical Engineering, Equipment & Machinery - Mining Equipment, Construction Equipment, Heavy Equipment, Off-Highway Trucks, Large Mining Trucks, Hydraulic Systems, Exhaust Systems, Structural Analysis, Fatigue Failure, Bolted Joint Failure, Finite Element Analysis, Machinery Accident, Equipment Fire, Product Defect, Catastrophic Failure, Loss of Control

Eric Defend is a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer (P.E.) with extensive experience in the design, testing, and analysis of large construction and mining equipment. At Caterpillar Inc., he has led engineering projects addressing critical safety, reliability, and performance issues in hydraulic, intake/exhaust, cooling, and structural systems for off-highway and large mining trucks. Mr. Defend specializes in identifying the root cause of complex mechanical failures, including those related to catastrophic breakdowns, warranty disputes, and safety incidents. His work has included conducting detailed failure analyses, overseeing prototype testing, leading design reviews for high-risk issues, and resolving major product reliability concerns. He has provided clear, data-driven findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders, making him adept at explaining complex engineering principles in plain language. Areas of Expertise • Heavy equipment design and failure analysis (con...

West Lafayette, Indiana

Biomedical Engineering, Intellectual Property - Medical Devices, Failure Analysis, Products Liability, Mechanical Engineering, Biomechanics, Laboratories & Testing, MRI safety, FDA and Regulatory, Finite Element Analysis, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI, Patent Analysis, ISO 13485

David Gross, PhD, PE, is Vice President of MED Institute, a Medtech contract research organization (CRO). As a graduate research associate, he was awarded a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association (AHA) for his research focusing on improving the MRI safety of patients with implanted cardiovascular devices. He is a member of numerous societies, including the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) where he received the Magna Cum Laude Merit Award at the 2016 ISMRM Annual Conference. Additionally, he was a member of the Ethics Subcommittee for the Biomedical Engineering Society. He graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and M.S.E. in Interdisciplinary Engineering. He also holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Ohio State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.