Railroad Expert Witnesses

Redlands, California

Transportation, Railroad - Railroad, Passenger Trains, Commuter Trains, Freight Trains, Railroad Operations, Grade Crossing Accidents/Incidents, Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Train Derailments, FELA, Railway Safety Act

Railroad Expert Witnesses (REW), founded by Daniel O'Connell, specializes in providing expert witness services to attorneys representing plaintiffs or defendants in railroad-related litigation. With a career spanning since 1978 in various roles across freight, passenger, and commuter trains, Daniel O'Connell brings extensive knowledge and experience to the table for a comprehensive evaluation of incidents. His expertise covers a wide range of areas, including railroad crossing incidents, employee and passenger fatalities or injuries. In recent years, Daniel O'Connell has taken on significant roles in expert witness cases, handling multiple active cases, conducting investigations, and producing reports in preparation for trial testimony. In addition to Railroad Expert Witnesses (REW), REW also encompasses Double Track Consulting (DTC), which emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially focused on delivering training to Conductors and Engineers across several railroads, DTC has si...

Cromwell, Connecticut

OSHA, Safety - forklift, slip trip & fall, machine guarding, amputation, material handling, occupational safety & health, aerial lift, boom lift, scissor lift, work zone, traffic, flagger, scaffold, ladder, lockout/tagout, Emergency Medical Services, mobile elevating work platform, excavation, railroad, MEWP

Retained in over 390 cases, state and federal. Deposition and trial testimony for matters in over 20 states. 30+ years experience in safety & health and OSHA compliance consulting & training for industry, construction, utilities, and emergency services. Frequent speaker at conferences and seminars - international, national, regional, state and local. Instructor for OSHA Training Institute Education Center Region 1 (Boston region) and Adjunct Faculty at Keene State College over 20 years, teaching OSHA standards & policies, technical topics, accident/incident analysis, and outreach trainer courses for both construction and general industry. Lead instructor for fall protection, scaffold. and work zone safety courses. Safety Professional of the Year, Associated General Contractors of Connecticut, 2022. Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer for both construction and general industry. ATSSA Master Instructor. Experienced in: Personal injury, catastrophic injury and fatality cases; Occupa...

Tampa, Florida

Transportation, Railroad - Subway, Railway, Railroad, Train, Light Rail, Streetcar, Derailment, Trolley, Tramway, Accident, Incident, Rail, Track, Intersection, Transit, Vehicle, Safety, Security, Heritage, DOT

Light Rail: Accident, Safety & Compliance Expert With over 40 years of international experience in the light rail (LRT), streetcar, trolley, and tramway industry, I bring extensive knowledge in operations, design, construction, maintenance, engineering, and regulatory compliance. As a compliance expert, I have safety-certified high-profile light rail systems with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) through local Departments of Transportation (DOT). I have regularly authored and reviewed incident and accident reports, developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and prepared technical documentation for litigation attorneys as an expert witness. My proficiency in investigative report writing has led to authoring and co-authoring multiple white papers, light rail standards, and industry articles. A key aspect of my career has been conducting risk and hazard analyses and identifying and mitigating risks in the rail industry. I have served both as a member of public transit r...

Benton, Kentucky

Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering - civil, railroad, accident, cranes, failures, foundations, structures, drainage, culverts, washouts, hydrology, concrete pump trucks, corrosion, chemical, industrial, building codes, inspections, construction, OSHA Compliance, swimming pools

Mr. Hlinka has worked over 40 years in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management market with experience in numerous industries: Chemical, Oil Refinery, Pulp & Paper, Adhesives, Nuclear Power Generation, Nuclear Feed Stock, and Steel. His work has overlapped with residential and commercial industries. Throughout his career he has engineered and managed a myriad of projects in these industries and has provided leadership to the various companies in the capacities of: Site Manager, Design Manager, Project Manager, Construction Supervisor, and currently as President. Design engineering, analysis, and inspection experience includes structural steel, reinforced concrete, stone, masonry, wood, and stormwater drainage.

Cheltenham, Pennsylvania

Industrial Hygiene, Mold - Certified Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygiene, Exposure Assessment, Exposure, Occupational Exposure, Exposure Reconstruction, Historical Exposure, FELA, Railroad, COVID-19, Bioaerosols, Indoor Air Quality, Diesel Exhaust, Chemical, Sick Building

Dr. Perez has served as an expert witness in over 100 cases and has extensive experience in writing expert reports as well as in providing oral deposition and trial testimony. He served as faculty at the Drexel University School of Public Health for 10 years. In this role he taught industrial hygiene and exposure assessment methods to public health graduate students. He also lectured on airborne contaminant exposure and environmental health to graduate engineering and medical students. He has conducted research in the fields of industrial hygiene and environmental health, published his results in the peer reviewed literature and presented his findings at various national and international environmental and occupational health conferences. He has been involved in international industrial hygiene work, lecturing and consulting in India and serving as an advisor to the government of Sri Lanka on issues of occupational health and worker exposure control. Based on his qualification...

WARREN, Pennsylvania

Railroad, Civil Engineering - Railroad Track, Railroad Equipment, Streetcar Track, Railroad Grade Crossings, Railroad Structures, Railroad Bridges, Surface Transportation Board, Coal Rate Cases, Shortline Railroad, Tourist Railroad, Overhead Contact System, Track Related Injuries

With 50+ years of engineering experience and 20+ years of railroad experience, I have experience with railroad track design and inspection as well as most aspects of railroading regarding rail operations, streetcars, rail related injuries, railroad grade crossings and railroad structures. I have inspected numerous railroad bridges in many states as well as investigating derailments. In addition, my firm, Stone Consulting, Inc. has completed railroad line appraisals, rail equipment inspections and appraisals, and track assessments, for both shortline and tourist railroads. I have no relationships with any Class 1 railroads. I am licensed as a Professional Engineer in AR; CO; FL; GA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NH; NY; OK; PA; TN; TX; UT; VA; WI; IA; MA; NE; NV; OR; RI; SC; VT; WA; WY. I have been accepted as an expert witness by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for railroad track design, construction and maintenance of way.

Falls Church, Virginia

Transportation, Security - hazardous materials, dangerous goods, chemicals, railroad, truck cargo tank, security, grade crossing, derailment, mechanical, signal, operations, track, locomotive, tank car, packaging, accident reconstruction and investigation, Federal Railroad Administration

BIOGRAPHICAL QUALIFICATIONS I am an expert in railroad safety and particularly in the hazardous materials (hazmat or HM) discipline of regulations contained in 49 CFR Parts 100-199 and also qualified to enforce Parts 200-299. I have worked in the industry for 57 years. My career began as a locomotive fireman and engineer on the Erie Lackawanna Railroad on September 6, 1967. I was subsequently promoted to Trainmaster-Road Foreman of Engines on the Consolidated Rail Corporation (aka, Conrail) in 1977. In 1983 was hired by the U.S. Department of Transportation / Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as a Hazardous Materials (HM) Inspector. In 1991 I was again promoted as a HM Specialist to the FRA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where I remained until my retirement at the conclusion of my government career in 2010. Since that time I have worked doing various consulting duties for railroads, railroad repair companies, other consulting companies, the government, and as an exper...