Maritime Expert Witnesses

Maritime, Slip Trip & Fall - marina safety, boating accidents, collisions/allisions, investigation, ship, yachts, seaworthiness, captain responsibilities, crew, passenger safety, Rules of the Road, equipment failure, sinking, drowning, vessel operation, safety, sport fishing, charter boat, jet ski, kayak

Captain David G. Bacon, a U.S. Coast Guard licensed vessel captain and Boating Safety & Compliance Consultant who is available as an expert witness on cases involving; boating accidents, slip & falls, personal injuries, collisions and allisions, issues of responsibilities and liabilities aboard vessels and on gangways and docks and piers, drowning and vessel grounding or sinking. I am available to travel for investigations, inspections and testimony. Passenger/crew interaction, training and safety orientation are areas where many liabilities are created due to negligent actions/inactions, and I have experience opining on those issues based upon Rules of the Road and other regulations, and standard duty of care and safety protocols. I have served as a vessel charter captain for 35 years, specializing in; crew training, safety procedures, crew drills and practice, passenger safety orientation. During that lengthy career I have had no accident or injury claims because I am a diligent...

Los Angeles, California

Failure Analysis, Metallurgy - Automobile, Aircraft, Tools, Appliance, Engineering Expert, Construction, Construction Defect, Corrosion, Maritime, Machinery, Materials selection, Glass, Medical Implant, Medical Device, Manufacturing Design, Plumbing Expert, Products Liability, Fire & Explosion, Product Design, Pipe

Joseph Quinn, MS, PE, is a Forensic Metallurgy and Metallurgical Engineering consultant. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Metallurgical Engineering and is registered in 7 states (CA, PA, UT, NV, AZ, CO, WA) with the Model Law Engineering (MLE) designation. He has provided over 1,000 Failure Analysis investigations on metallic and non-metallic (glass, plastic, rubber, and composite) materials or products. Mr. Quinn provides metallurgical and materials consultation, expert witness testimony, and forensic failure analysis in civil litigation matters for defendants and plaintiffs. He has received awards in the International Metallographic Contest and has delivered several presentations on metallurgical engineering and failure analysis subjects at universities, ASM meetings, and industry events. He has served as Past President of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in California and remains active in industry standards development, technical societies, and pro...

Ft Lauderdale, Florida

Meteorology, Maritime - Cruise Lines, Maritime, Forensic, Marine, Ocean, Wave, Wind, Ship, Vessel, Weather, Storm, Hurricane, Meteorology, Container, Cargo, Tanker, Damage, Sea, Harbor

Forensic maritime meteorological expert witness providing consultation, investigation, data gathering, report writing, rebuttal, deposition, and court testimony services. Extensive cruise industry experience to include hurricane, tropical, and severe weather knowledge. Emmy award winning former television meteorologist with public speaking, teaching, and on camera experience. American Meteorological Society Certified Consulting Meteorologist (board member).

Somers Point, New Jersey

Premises Liability, Security - Negligent Security, Premises Liability, Inadequate Security, Foreseeability, Security Adequacy, Incident Causation, Apartment Security, Hotel Security, Parking Lot Security, Retail Security, Nightclub Security, Casino Security, Law Enforcement Practices, Use of Force, CPTED, Marina, Maritime, Bar, Causation, Restaurant

Jack Leo is the Founder and Principal Consultant of The Probity Group, a security consulting and investigative firm specializing in premises liability, negligent security, law enforcement practices, security operations, and protective methodologies. He is a former senior federal law enforcement executive and security professional with nearly three decades of progressively responsible leadership in high-risk investigative, protective, and security environments. A veteran of both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, Mr. Leo began his federal career as a United States Border Patrol Agent before serving in the United States Marshals Service, ultimately attaining the position of Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal — the highest field-based leadership position within the agency. Over the course of his career, he directed and supervised complex investigations, fugitive apprehensions, witness protection operations, security assessments, and protective assignments across the United States and internatio...

Delaware, Ohio

Human Factors, Traffic Engineering - Distracted driving, Driving behavior, Reconstruction, Biomechanics, Maritime, Manufacturing, Mining, OSHA, Premises Liability, Products Liability, Safety, Slips, Trips, Falls, Transportation, Warnings, Conspicuity, Cell phones, Texting, Lighting

Dr. Kevin Rider is a human factors expert and owner of Forensic Human Factors, LLC, providing investigations, reports and expert testimony for personal injury cases – plaintiff and defense. His expertise involves investigating how people interact with other people, products and environments in predictable ways, and applying this understanding to effective, efficient and safe products, services and systems. He has been consulted as an expert in 49 states (so far). Dr. Rider’s expertise includes: • MVAs and pedestrian collisions, incl. trucks, trains, buses, motor/bicycles • Illumination, nighttime visibility, and conspicuity • DUI/DWIs, where intoxication was not a proximate cause of crash • Adequacy of product designs and warnings • The design and maintenance of safe civil and occupational environments • Premises liability, and slips, trips and falls • Workplace and construction safety Dr. Rider is a Professional Engineer (PE), a Certified Human Factors Professional (CHFP), and ...

Lakeville, Pennsylvania

Meteorology, Maritime - Weather reconstruction, forensic meteorology, weather, marine meteorology, maritime, admirality law, weather routing, ship accidents, boating accidents, consulting meteorologists, tropical cyclones, hurricanes, tropical meteorology, extreme waves, oceanography, waves, marine insurance, insurance

• Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) by the American Meteorological Society • Over 30 years experience in meteorology and physical oceanography • I am a U.S. Navy veteran with sea duty and therefore have firsthand experience in the effects of weather on operations • Past AMS board member that certifies CCM’s for technical knowledge, communication skills, and ethics • I provide quality testimony using the scientific method • My testimony is clear, concise, and technically complicated subjects are plainly described • Sound communication skills describing complex atmospheric processes are put into easily understandable words and presentations • My written testimony is quality controlled and peer reviewed to produce an error free report that stands up to scrutiny of cross examination • I keep abreast of the latest scientific developments in meteorology and physical oceanography by attending conferences, re...

Pennsylvania

Failure Analysis, Metallurgy - Automobile, Aircraft, Tools, Appliance, Engineering Expert, Construction, Construction Defect, Corrosion, Maritime, Machinery, Materials selection, Glass, Medical Implant, Medical Device, Manufacturing Design, Plumbing Expert, Products Liability, Fire & Explosion, Product Design, Pipe

Joseph Quinn, MS, PE, is a Forensic Metallurgy and Metallurgical Engineering consultant. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Metallurgical Engineering and is registered in 7 states (CA, PA, UT, NV, AZ, CO, WA) with the Model Law Engineering (MLE) designation. He has provided over 1,000 Failure Analysis investigations on metallic and non-metallic (glass, plastic, rubber, and composite) materials or products. Mr. Quinn provides metallurgical and materials consultation, expert witness testimony, and forensic failure analysis in civil litigation matters for defendants and plaintiffs. He has received awards in the International Metallographic Contest and has delivered several presentations on metallurgical engineering and failure analysis subjects at universities, ASM meetings, and industry events. He has served as Past President of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in California and remains active in industry standards development, technical societies, and pro...

Santa Fe, Texas

OSHA, Safety - OSHA Compliance, Construction, General Industry, Maritime, Workplace Safety, Safety, Manufacturing, Accident Investigation, Litigation Support, Risk Analysis, Regulatory Compliance, Plaintiff/Defense, Multi-Employer Worksites, OSHA Citations, scaffolding, Lockout/Tagout, confined space, fall protection, machine guarding, Excavation

Kelly C. Knighton is a Board-Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and former senior executive with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), bringing over 30 years of experience in workplace safety, regulatory enforcement, and incident investigation. Ms. Knighton previously served as OSHA Regional Administrator overseeing one of the agency’s largest regions, directing enforcement and compliance programs across multiple states. She now provides expert consulting and litigation support involving workplace safety standards, OSHA compliance, and catastrophic incident analysis. Expert Witness Specialties: - OSHA regulations, compliance, and enforcement - Construction safety, general industry, and maritime safety - Workplace incident investigation and root cause analysis - Fatalities and catastrophic injury analysis - OSHA citations, including General Duty Clause (5(a)(1)) - Safety management systems and hazard identification - Regulatory interpretation and industry s...