Playground Safety Expert Witnesses

Thousand Oaks, California

Education & Schools, School Safety - Standard of Care, Student & Staff Supervision, School Safety & Security, Playground Safety, Mandated Reporting, General & Special Education, IDEA / IEPs - Disabilities, Discipline Policies & Justice, Child Abuse, Child Sexual Abuse, Human Resources, Wrongful Termination, Staff Dev'l & Trainings, Board Policies & Regulations

Introduction Dr. Jon D. Sand brings more than 35 years of direct pre-K–12 experience to his work as an independent educational expert and consultant. He earned his Doctor of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership from USC, a Master of Science in Special Education from California Lutheran University, and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. He holds the full complement of teaching and administrative credentials for his field and advanced certifications in district operations. His expertise spans general and special education; due process; special needs eligibility and case management; human resources; school site safety and student supervision; personnel evaluation; and district governance and operations. Dr. Sand is recognized for his depth in curriculum, instruction, and assessment and for an exemplary record at every level of the profession. He has served with distinction as a classroom teacher—selected as a National Teacher of the Year by the Amgen Foundation – master and mentor teach...

Commack, New York

Athletics & Recreation, Risk Management - Playground Equipment, Playground Supervision, Physical Education, Gym, Athletics, Health Club, Fitness equipment, Exercise equipment, Fitness Instruction, Weight Room, Sport Facility, Lacrosse, Coaching, Playgrounds, Playground Safety, Children's Playground

Professor Heraghty currently serves as Academic Chairperson of Health, Physical Education & Sport Management at SUNY Suffolk. Prior to this role, he was the Fitness & Aquatics Director and Head Lacrosse Coach at Suffolk. He is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector credentialed by the National Recreation and Park Association and is also certified by the National Program for Playground Safety. He currently serves on the Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities committee with the American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM). Professor Heraghty specializes in Risk Management Programs for various types of sports, recreation, and fitness activities, as well as the preparation of expert opinions for both plaintiffs and defendants, in conjunction with recreation and sports personal injury cases. SPECIALITY FOCUS: Playground Equipment Accidents, Gym, Playground Supervision, Recreation, Fitness, Physical Education, Athletic, Health Clubs, Lacrosse, Weight ...

Huntington, New York

Safety, Property Management - Playground Safety, Premise Liability, Property Management, Playground Supervision, Slip Trips& Falls, Emergency Action Planning, Life Safety, Accident Prevention, Lighting, Property Inspections, Construction Safety, School Playgrounds, Risk Assessment, ASTM F1487

Mr. Andrew Sampson is a safety‑focused engineering and property management professional with 15 years of experience overseeing construction, operations, and risk management across complex, high‑density environments. His background spans Class A commercial properties, life‑safety systems, playground safety standards, and large‑scale maintenance programs, giving him a unique systems‑based perspective on incident causation and hazard control. In his role managing more than 2 million square feet of Class A office properties in Manhattan, Mr. Sampson has directed multi‑million‑dollar construction projects, supervised multidisciplinary engineering and safety teams, and conducted hundreds of inspections to ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, building codes, and industry best practices. His work includes oversight of life‑safety systems, emergency preparedness, equipment maintenance, and operational risk mitigation for high‑value assets. Before entering the commercial real estate sec...

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania

Human Factors, Safety - Adolescent development, Behavioral science, Child development, Failure analysis, Slip trip & fall, Adolescent safety, Caregiver behavior, Child psychology, Playground safety, Adolescent behavior, Child safety, Children’s products, Pool safety, Adult supervision, Child supervision, Consumer product safety, Safety communication

Dr. Karol Silva is a human factors consultant with interdisciplinary training in child and adolescent development and public health. She holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Temple University and master’s in public health from Brown University and is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI). A significant portion of Dr. Silva’s work addresses child and adolescent safety, with particular attention to risk behaviors, cognitive and motor development, contextual factors, and the role of caregiver supervision. She also evaluates how factors such as risk perception and hazard awareness contribute to accident patterns across age groups, and how caregiver practices shape health and injury outcomes. She has conducted usability studies evaluating how children and adults interact with products in a range of environments. Her work considers human capabilities and limitations and the implications on product design, labeling, and safety communication. Dr. Silva has extensive expe...

Irmo, South Carolina

Human Factors, Premises Liability - Accident Prevention, Risk Management, Illumination, Conspicuity, Visual Perception, Slip resistance, Playground Safety, Premises Liability, Lighting, Line of Sight, Driver Distraction, Roadway Markings, Environmental Conditions, Slip-Trip- Fall Evaluations, Workplace Injuries, Human Factors, OSHA

Ellen Szubski, Ph.D., is the senior human factors consultant at The Warren Group. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Factors Psychology and a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Clemson University. Ellen is also a Certified XL Tribometrist, a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI), and a Certified Associate Human Factors Professional (AHFP). Ellen worked in the Clemson Visual Perception and Performance Laboratory examining the factors contributing to the conspicuity of pedestrians and bicyclists in challenging road conditions, such as nighttime driving. She did her dissertation on “The Influence of Pedestrian Biological Motion on Time-To-Collision Estimates at Night”. Prior to entering the forensic field, Ellen planned and conducted experiments for a major bicycle manufacturer that improved bicycle conspicuity. She also conducted laser strike perception and performance studies for the Department of Defense. Ellen applies her experience in Human Factors t...