Failure Analysis Expert Witnesses in California
The SEAK Expert Witness Directory contains a comprehensive list of failure analysis expert witnesses who testify, consult and provide litigation support on failure analysis and related issues. Failure analysis expert witnesses and consultants on this page may form expert opinions, draft expert witness reports, and provide expert witness testimony at deposition and trial. The issues and subjects these failure analysis expert witnesses testify regarding may include: Failure Analysis, Plumbing, Accident Reconstruction, Construction Defects, Engineering, Human Factors, Machinery, Mechanical Engineering, Premises Liability, Ada Compliance, Construction, Construction Engineering, Corrosion, Energy, and Hvac.
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Robert A Durham, PhD, PE
Forensic Engineering and Intellectual Property
THEWAY Labs
Failure Analysis, Engineering
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Intellectual Property, Engineering Mechanical, Engineering Electrical, Fire, Construction, Electricity, Electronics, Laboratories & Testing, Investigation, Products Liability, Plumbing, Forensic Science, Building Inspection
Dr. Durham has been providing forensic and failure analysis services to clients for over 20 years. He has testified as an expert witness in multiple states, in federal jurisdictions, before FERC and state utility commissions. He is a certified fire and explosion investigator. He has been involved in over 2,500 IP and wfailure analysis projects including: power systems, lightning, electrocutions, oil & gas, tank batteries, industrial, commercial, residential, lighting appliances, utility systems, utility regulation, fire, equipment damage, switchgear, construction equipment, electronics, overhead lines, underground lines and fire protection equipment.
Licensed PE in 11 States; BS EE, ME, PhD
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Mingxi Zheng, MS, PE
Mechanical/Materials Failure Analysis Expert
BEAR INC.
Berkeley, California
Products Liability, Mechanical Engineering
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Risk Assessment, Failure Analysis, FMEA, Material Characterization and Testing, Material Properties, Metallurgy, Manufacturing, Aviation & Aerospace, 3D printing, Automotive, Welding, Warnings & Labels, Oil and Gas, Product Development, Laboratories & Testing, Candle Fires, Button Battery, Blenders, Heating pads
Mingxi is a Licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer in the state of California with expertise in materials development and mechanical engineering across a broad range of industries. She holds a Master's and a Bachelor's degree in Material Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. With a specialty in materials science, metallurgy, fracture mechanics and failure analysis, she has hands-on industry experience in materials testing and process development in the aerospace and manufacturing industries. Her time as a working engineer in advanced manufacturing and startup environments has proven invaluable in providing evidence and practice-based expert opinions and testimony regarding engineering, manufacturing, risk assessment and warnings.
Prior to joining Berkeley Engineering And Research, Inc., she held engineering roles at SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, and Carbon 3D, where she worked on integrating Mil, ASTM, ISO, and NASA specifications into developing intel...
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Dan A Beabout
From Crack to Cause: Expert Failure Analysis
Self
SPRING VALLEY, California
Metallurgy, Failure Analysis
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Plastic Failures, Manufacturing Engineering , Extrusion Analysis , Passivation Treatments , Steels , Glass Fractography, Jack Failures , Aluminum Castings, Stainless Steels , Patent Infringement , Accident Reconstruction , Heat Treating , Nickle Based Alloys, Building Failures , Engineered Aluminum , Anodizing , Titanium
Should the need arise for forensic engineering expertise in the San Diego region—or in any location accessible by air—highly specialized services are available to assist with even the most complex investigations. With a deep technical foundation in Materials Science Engineering from Purdue University, and extensive casework involving critical failures in metals, polymers, and glass, these capabilities are well-suited to support high-stakes litigation and technical analysis. Whether the matter involves industrial components, consumer products, or structural materials, failure mechanisms are dissected with scientific precision and courtroom clarity.
These services are offered with a focus on responsiveness, technical rigor, and clear communication tailored to both legal teams and juries. Prior engagements have involved litigation support, expert witness testimony, and root cause analysis across a wide range of industries and failure types. The goal is simple: deliver insight that mov...
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Zacharias Macias, PE, CFEI
Forensic Electrical Engineer | PE, CFEI
Macias Forensics
Corona, California
Electrical Engineering, Failure Analysis
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Forensic electrical engineer, Electrical engineer expert witness, Electrical forensics, Arc fault, Power surge, Subrogation, Vehicular fire, Fire Investigation, NEC code review, Lightning Loss, Equipment breakdown, Transformers, Product defect, Solar panel failure, Electrical failure analysis, Cost Estimation, RCV/ACV, Water Damage
Zacharias Macias, PE, CFEI is a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator with over 10 years of specialized experience in forensic electrical engineering and fire investigation. He is the founder and principal engineer of Macias Forensics, a forensic engineering firm serving insurance carriers, adjusters, TPAs, and law firms nationwide.
Mr. Macias provides expert witness services in electrical failure analysis, fire origin and cause investigation, equipment damage assessment, and power surge evaluation. His work spans a wide range of loss types, including structure fires, vehicular fires, electrical distribution failures, lightning and surge damage, water damage, and product defect investigations. He is fluent in federal, state, and local electrical codes, including the National Electrical Code (NEC), and applies this knowledge to evaluate liability, causation, and damages in both litigation and pre-litigation matters.
Representative case experience...
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MARTIN M BALABAN, PhD, PE
AR TECH
Encino, California
Accident Reconstruction, Safety
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Vehicle collisions, Premises liability, Safety, Code Compliance, Construction & Industrial Accidents, Failure Analysis, Human Factors, Biomechanics, Mechanical Engineering, OSHA, ADA compliance, Products Liability, Criminal, Licensed Safety Engineer in CA, Slip & Fall, Slip and Fall, Trip & Fall, Ladders, Trip and Fall
Vehicular:
all vehicle types, multi-vehicle, bicycles, pedestrians, skidmark analysis. damage-matching, occupant biomechanics. visibility & line-of-sight analysis, traffic signal phasing, vehicular component defects, seatbelts.
Premises Liability: Code Compliance, Slip, trip, floor friction testing, stairway & ramp accidents, glass injuries, guardrails; illumination issues; manual & electronic gates, ladders, door closing mechanisms, falling objects, structural failures. Occupancies include single- and multi-family residences, retail stores, office buildings, garages, sidewalks, parks and other public access.
Industrial & Construction accidents: Walking-working surfaces including ramps, hoisting & conveying, powered lifts, work platforms, forklifts, construction vehicles, materials handling & storage, machine guarding, ladders, scaffolding, trenching & shoring,
Cal-OSHA compliance, lockout/tagout, IIPP analysis, human factors & ergonomics issues.
Products Liability: Liabili...
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Robin D ODell
Materials Chemistry, Manufacturing Executive
Redondo Beach, California
Products Liability, Chemistry & Chemicals
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Coatings adhesion, Laminate delamination, Polymers, Surface preparation, Materials enginering, Barrier coatings, Bio-based polymer composites, Foodservice packaging, Decorative laminates, Solid surface, Barrier coatings, Compostable packaging materials, Starch based materials, Failure analysis, Extrusion processing, Cure
ROBIN DOUGLAS O’DELL
Redondo Beach, CA | (707) 508-7058 | robindodell@gmail.com
EXPERT WITNESS (TESTIFYING & CONSULTING)
Polymers | Coatings & Laminates | Adhesion/Delamination | Materials Selection / Standard of Care | Sustainable Packaging
Senior materials and manufacturing executive with Fortune 100 leadership and startup CEO/CTO experience. Specialized in coatings and laminate adhesion/delamination, materials selection and standard of care, and biodegradable/compostable packaging materials. Extensive experience translating material science into manufacturable products and defensible engineering decisions. Served as company representative in IP and product liability matters; prior expert support to Jones Day.
Practice Areas / Keywords
Coatings adhesion, lamination, delamination, bond failure, surface preparation, cure chemistry, thermal/moisture cycling, decorative laminates, solid surfacing, composite panels, barrier coatings, packaging coatings, polymer processing, extrusion, t...
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David Shreve, PE
Ivey Engineering
San Diego, California
HVAC, Plumbing
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HVAC, plumbing, construction defects, construction engineering, energy, failure analysis, engineering, refrigeration
Ivey Engineering, Inc. (IEI) is an HVAC, plumbing, process piping, fire sprinkler and energy management consulting firm. The firm performs building system design work, forensic analysis, expert witness consulting, product liability consulting, construction cost analysis and construction claims consulting. The staff is comprised of professional engineers and former construction executives. We are licensed engineers and licensed contractors and have performed consulting work in over 30 states. Our clients include contractors, homeowner associations, commercial building owners, tenants, hotels, casinos, design professionals, manufacturers, law firms, insurance companies and individuals. We know what it takes to design, bid and construct projects.
IEI was founded in 1994 in San Diego, California. We have offices in San Diego and Richmond, Virginia, and provide consulting and expert witness services nationwide. Each of our engineers are licensed as professional engineers in multiple stat...
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Nikhil K Kar, Ph.D., P.E.
Kars' Advanced Materials, Inc.
Anaheim, California
Metallurgy, Mechanical Engineering
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Materials Science, Composite Materials, Fractography, Fractures, Weld Failures, Failure Analysis, Product, machinery, and equipment failures
Nikhil’s expertise is in fields of mechanical engineering, materials science, metallurgy, failure analysis, mechanical/materials behavior, laboratory testing, contamination analysis and equipment function to determine cause(s) of failure. He is involved in various consulting projects including implant failures, product failures, automotive component failures and patent infringement matters. When time permits, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California as an adjunct assistant professor of engineering practice. He has qualified as an expert witness in both State and Federal Court.
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Mohammad Atarod, PhD, PE
Testifying Expert-Accident Recon and Biomechanics
Atarod Biomechanics Laboratories
LAGUNA NIGUEL, California
Biomechanics, Accident Reconstruction
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Accident Reconstruction, Biomechanical Analysis of Injury, Premises Liability, Slips/Trips and Falls, Crash Data Retrieval, Heavy Vehicle EDRs, Blackbox Download, Photogrammetry, Computer Simulations, Failure Analysis, Human Factors, Laboratory Testing, 3D Laser Scanning, Expert Witness Testimony
I am a Senior Biomechanical Engineer and Accident Reconstructionist. I am registered as a professional mechanical engineer (PE) in California, Nevada and Colorado. I specialize in accident reconstruction, injury biomechanics and injury mechanism/causation analysis. I works on cases across the country, analyzing injuries in automotive collisions, industrial accidents, workers compensation claims, premises liability claims, slip/trip and falls, and sport/recreation accidents. I have provided litigation support to insurance companies, law firms, and automotive manufacturers/industries over the past 12+ years.
Technical Areas of Specialization:
- Biomechanical Analysis of Injury
- Accident Reconstruction
- Premises Liability; Slips/Trips and Falls
- Crash Data Retrieval; Heavy Vehicle EDRs
- Photogrammetry and 3D Computer Simulations
- Vehicle Systems Analysis
Services:
- Accident Reconstruction
- Biomechanical Analysis of Injury
- Premises Liability; Slips/Trips and Falls
- Crash Dat...
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Daniel R Robles, PE, MBA
Mechanical Engineer: business, construction, aero
Coengineers, PLLC
California
Mechanical Engineering, Investigation
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Plumbing, Test Engineering, Product Liability, Failure Analysis, Forensic Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Accident Reconstruction, Water Damage, Feasibility Study, Corrosion, Construction, Airport, Aviation, Standard of Care, Litigation Support, Risk Assessment, Machinery, Insurance, Document Analysis, Design Engineering
Daniel Robles, PE, MBA is the founder of CoEngineers, PLLC, where he leverages extensive aerospace and construction industry experience to provide expert witness services for the legal, insurance, real estate, government, and financial industries.
Recent cases involved contractor error, material failures, chemical incompatibility, building envelope failures, water intrusion, personal injury, product failures, plumbing system failures, industrial machinery failures, corrosion, freeze, fire, forensics, standard of care, feasibility studies, facility condition assessments.
EDUCATION
• Masters in International Business (MBA); Seattle University. Seattle WA, 2002.
• Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering, (BSME); University of New Haven,
Certifications:
• Licensed Professional Engineer; California #30667, Washington #44394
• MIT Professional Education; AI and Machine Learning, 2024
Construction: CoEngineers, PLLC – Principal
• Resolution of unique building problems includin...
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Kevin Hastings, P.E., C.F.P.S
Ivey Engineering, Inc.
San Diego, California
Plumbing, HVAC
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HVAC, plumbing, fire sprinkler, construction defects, construction engineering, energy, failure analysis, engineering, refrigeration
Ivey Engineering, Inc. (IEI) is an HVAC, plumbing, process piping, fire sprinkler and energy management consulting firm. The firm performs building system design work, forensic analysis, expert witness consulting, product liability consulting, construction cost analysis and construction claims consulting. The staff is comprised of professional engineers and former construction executives. We are licensed engineers and licensed contractors and have performed consulting work in over 30 states. Our clients include contractors, homeowner associations, commercial building owners, tenants, hotels, casinos, design professionals, manufacturers, law firms, insurance companies and individuals. We know what it takes to design, bid and construct projects.
IEI was founded in 1994 in San Diego, California. We have offices in San Diego and Richmond, Virginia and provide consulting and expert witness services nationwide. Each of our engineers are licensed as professional engineers in multiple stat...
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LORI DENNIS, ASID, LEED AP, NCIDQ
Interior Design & Construction Defects Expert
Lori Dennis LLC
Los Angeles, California
Architecture, Construction Defects
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Interior Design, OSHA Compliance, Breach of Contract, Landscape Design, Failure Analysis, Interior Architecture, Construction Defects, Code Violations, Lighting Design, Negligence, Slip Trip & Fall, Water Intrusion, Cost to Cure, Sustainability, Los Angeles, ADA Compliance, Standard of Care, Premises Liability, Title 24 Compliance
Lori Dennis, ASID President, LEED AP, NCIDQ, is a nationally recognized expert witness and award-winning interior designer with over 30 years of experience in residential, commercial, hospitality, and luxury projects. Based in Los Angeles, she leads Lori Dennis LLC, one of the top interior design firms in the country. She is a best-selling author (Green Interior Design), HGTV series star, TEDx speaker, corporate keynote speaker, and leading influencer in luxury and sustainable design.
Her expert testimony has been retained in over 20 cases by prominent law firms nationwide, including Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell, Walkup Melodia Kelly & Schoenberger, and others, for both plaintiff and defense. Areas of expertise include construction defects, standard of care, ADA/OSHA compliance, slip/trip/fall, water intrusion, code violations, breach of contract, negligence, cost-to-cure damages, product liability, failure analysis, Title 24 compliance, sustain...
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Joseph Quinn, M.S., P.E.
Metal Failure Analysis - Materials Engineering
Materials FACT
Los Angeles, California
Failure Analysis, Metallurgy
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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...
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T.Kim Parnell, PhD, PE
Patent, Failure, Medical Device, Forensic
Parnell Engineering & Consulting
Sunnyvale, California
Medical Devices, Intellectual Property
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Mechanical Engineering, Equipment & Machinery, Medical Device, Nitinol, Biomedical, Patent, IP, Consumer Products, Failure Analysis, Fracture, Fatigue, Truck Rollover, Crashworthiness, Finite Element, FEA, Reliability, Cell Phone, Forensic Investigation, Composite Material, Piping
T.Kim Parnell, PhD, PE is President of Parnell Engineering & Consulting. Dr.Parnell holds PhD and MSME degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, a BES from Georgia Tech, and is a registered Professional Mechanical Engineer (PE) in the State of California. Dr.Parnell is an ASME Life Fellow, an IEEE Life Senior Member, and a Member of NAFEMS, SAMPE, ASMI and SAE. Parnell is Past-Chair of the IEEE Santa Clara Valley Section (IEEE-SCV) (over 13,000 members) and Past-Chair/Board Member of the IEEE Consultants' Network of Silicon Valley (IEEE-CNSV). Vice-President of Silicon Valley Engineering Council (SVEC.org)
Dr.Parnell is an experienced Expert Witness, has provided testimony in both trial and deposition, and has authored numerous expert reports, ITC and IPR declarations. He has worked extensively as an expert in medical devices, patents, product failure, product liability, and personal injury.
Dr.Parnell has been retained in medical device litigation cases tha...
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Alan R. Hugenot
Marine Engineer, Master Mariner Diesel Forensics
Alan Ross Hugenot Inc.
San Francisco, California
Maritime, Failure Analysis
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Maritime Casualties, Personal Injury, Root Cause Analysis, Ship-handling, Sailing yachts, Motor yachts, Charter contracts & disputes, Sail Racing Rules, Jones Act, Dis-masting, Capsizing, Sinking, Collisions, Yacht Design & Engineering, Boatyard repairs, Insurance disputes, Cruise ships
Merchant Marine Officer, Master Mariner, Near Coastal Inspected Passenger Vessels, Steam Motor & Sail for 34 years. STCW 95 and Radar Observer Unlimited, Navigation, Safety Regulations, Shipboard Safety/Security, Deck Seamanship, Rules of the Road, Experienced Towing & Rescue of Yachts and Small Craft. Maritime Smuggling.
Naval Architect-Marine Engineer, Full Member SNAME 40 years, Expert on Diesel failure analysis, Experienced Engine Rebuilder, Engine replacements, Electrical Propulsion Controllers, Solar Panels & controllers, High voltage storage batteries, Diesel generators & Inverters, 12VDC, through 96VDC. 125VAC & 240 VAC. Expert on all shipboard mechanical systems, fuel oil, lube oil, fire protection, all piping and pumping, HVAC,
• Chairman, SNAME Motor Craft & Service Craft Panel (SC-4) Small Craft Technical & Research Committee (Since 2006).
• Principal National Fire Protection Association-NFPA Motor Craft Committee (2011),
• Member of five American Boat and Yacht Coun...
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Jose J. Granda, PhD, PE
Cadsim Engineering
Sacramento, California
Accident Reconstruction, Engineering
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Mechanical Engineering, Auto Accidents, Accident Biomechanics, EDR download, analysis, including TESLA, Work Place Accidents, Heavy Vehicles, Motorcycles, Pedestrians, Bicycles, Failure Analysis, Computer Models, Simulations, Finite Element Modeling (FEA), Human Factors, Vehicle Dynamics and Design
QUALIFICATIONS; Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the California State University in Sacramento, CA with 39+ yrs. experience. Professional Registered Mechanical Engineer (PE License, CA). An expert in accident reconstruction using computer simulations of accidents involving vehicles, trucks, heavy vehicles, motorcycles, biomechanics, pedestrians, bicycles, occupational, workplace, failure analysis impact forces, industrial accidents. EDR (Event Data Recorder) analysis including TESLA vehicles, patents.
EXPERT WITNESS EXPERIENCE: Written reports, depositions & trial experience.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING; Vehicle Dynamics and Design, Vehicle Safety & Crash Reconstruction, Accident Biomechanics, Finite Element Modeling in Computer Aided Design, Advanced Mechanical Design and Failure Analysis (CSUS); Motorcycle Accident reconstruction, (Northwestern University); EDR Certification, Tech 1, Tech II, EDR Analysis Certification (Collision Safety Institute); Applying Automotive EDR Da...
You can also find Failure Analysis Expert Witnesses in:
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin