Snow and Ice Removal - Fleet Safety Expert Witness

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Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

General Specialties:

Slip Trip & Fall and Premises Liability

Keywords/Search Terms:

Snow and Ice Management, Snow Removal, Snow Removal Contract, Property Management, Operations Management, Snowplow, ice control, slip and fall, slip and fall injury, contract performance, service performance, Premises Liability, fleet management, fleet safety, wrongful death, duty of care, Trucking

Education:

Master of Business Administration, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs; Associate in Specialized Technology, Wyoming Technical Institute

Years in Practice:

3

Number of Times Deposed/Testified in Last 4 Yrs:

2

Additional Information

While working in the fleet and snow/ice management industries for over 14 years, Michael Wagner has held various roles such as fleet management, safety management, and snow and ice management. Throughout his career, he’s worked in both public and private sector roles, with most recent experience including private contracting for municipalities in landscaping, fleet, and snow/ice management. While working in the private sector, he has worked closely in managing snow and ice removal contracts for both residential and commercial clients, with a large variety of site requirements and service offerings. Some of the key focus areas in snow and ice management include contract development, route planning and mapping, site specification development, emergency management communications, and vehicle/equipment procurement and deployment. Michael has also worked extensively with insurance carriers, brokers, and property managers on risk exposure, as well as insurance and injury claims that involve people of the community, company personnel, property damage, and operational activities. Another area which has complemented snow and ice management services is organization-wide safety management. Michael has worked to develop employee training and professional development programs, insurance and risk assessments, hands-on site-specific training, equipment and vehicle operator training, and administrative training. Accompanying this experience, Michael has achieved multiple certificate and certification designations in the snow and ice management industry such as the ASCA-C, ASM, and CSP, which are the most widely recognized certifications in the private snow and ice management industry. Throughout his career, he understands the premises liability concerns and protection of property owners and managers and has worked to administer snow and ice management services on a variety of commercial retail and medical properties, as well as public roadway, walkways, and residential properties such as individually owned or HOA communities. In the professional and industry of fleet management, Michael Wagner has worked in leadership capacities that are responsible for fleet analysis, driver and operator training, risk exposure, fleet safety management, employee training, insurance claims processing, insurance partnerships with brokers and carriers, and developing fleet policies and procedures for organizations. Part of the fleet management responsibilities include monitoring driver behavior and assessing fleet risk, analyzing GPS and telematics data to influence decision-making, coaching, following disciplinary processes to improve behavior, and leading shop management and fleet maintenance programs. In addition to these responsibilities, Michael Wagner has extensive experience in reviewing fleet accidents and collisions, investigating and reporting incidents, and utilizing root-cause analyses to determine potential consequences and outcomes. Michael Wagner is familiar with contract, tort, and negligence issues in fleet management, as well as having strong experience in the regulatory environment of fleets at the federal, state, and local level. Previous Case Experience Michael Wagner has been retained by counsel as a plaintiff and defendant expert witness and has worked in eight cases as an expert witness in premises liability, snow and ice management, trucking, slip and fall injuries, and transportation/fleet management. Outside of working roles, Michael Wagner has also worked with professional associations such as the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA), Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA), American Public Works Association (APWA), NAFA Fleet Management, and FleetPros in mentoring and developing training programs and materials for their fleet and snow/ice operations and members. Michael Wagner is a technical advisor for the Snow and Ice Management Association developing safety and training content for the industry and its members.