Construction, Premises Liability, and Storm Damage

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Paul D. Tucker is a civil and structural engineer whose career spans industry, academia, and forensic consulting. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in 18 states, a licensed Structural Engineer (SE) in Georgia, and a Florida Recognized Structural Engineer. In industry, he has been responsible for structural design, project management, construction inspections, and code compliance, personally designing thousands of buildings and structures—among them schools, churches, restaurants, gymnasiums, condominiums, industrial and recreational facilities, retail stores, office buildings, and residences. Before earning his degrees, he worked hands-on in steel fabrication and general construction, experience that continues to inform his practical approach. Mr. Tucker served 16 semesters on the faculty of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering), where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses and integrated real-world casework into the classroom. He is currently on hiatus from Ph.D. studies in UT’s Biosystems Engineering program. In his forensic practice, Mr. Tucker applies first-principles design, analysis, testing, and safety methodology to evaluate damaged or deficient structures. He is recognized for deep expertise in building code interpretation and construction means and methods, with substantial casework and testimony involving pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMBs), temporary bracing and shoring, and construction-phase collapses due to wind. His evaluations also include seawall damage from hurricanes; storm-related losses (hurricanes, tornadoes, wind, hail); OSHA compliance; and premises liability matters. He is a Certified XL Tribometrist (CXLT) and routinely performs slip-resistance testing, offering opinions in human factors and biomechanics as they relate to slips, trips, and falls. He is a Diplomate in Forensic Engineering (DFE). Additional case experience includes drowning incidents at pools, pool enclosures, and other manmade bodies of water; fatal falls from height; and the design and assessment of fall-arrest systems for industrial and construction applications. His technical background further encompasses concrete and precast design and construction, as well as concrete and masonry repair; he holds a master certificate in concrete repair from World of Concrete. Service-oriented throughout his career, Mr. Tucker has held leadership roles with the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, the Tennessee Structural Engineers Association—East Region, and the Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers. He also serves on the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association Technical Committee and the National Society of Professional Engineers Membership Committee. Prior to engineering, he served with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division as an Arabic linguist. He is a native English speaker, fluent in Modern Standard Arabic, with basic proficiency in Spanish.