Failure Analysis Consultants: 38

Quality Forensic Engineering, LLC is a full-service forensic engineering firm, providing engineering support to clients in the areas of accident reconstruction, biomechanics, fire investigations, patent litigation analysis, premises liability, product liability, and tire failure analysis. We use the latest technology and industry proven techniques to provide thorough analysis, expert testimony, and conclusions for the most difficult engineering questions. Our forensic engineers are strategically located throughout the U.S. to support clients nationwide.

Dr. Brian Pfeifer, PhD, PE - Dr. Pfeifer is an Engineering Expert with over 27 years of experience investigating thousands of cases involving a variety of forensic engineering issues. He is a leading expert in accident reconstruction, roadside safety, maintenance of traffic, commercial vehicle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and the analysis of mechanical systems and product failures. Dr. Pfeifer has a strong background in the design, development, and implementation of roadside safety hardware including guardrails, bridge rails, and crash cushions. Over 30 patents have been filed worldwide on behalf of Dr. Pfeifer and associated colleagues who invented safer guardrail systems, vehicle storage systems, shipping container handling systems, and material handling and storage methods. He has also utilized his technical knowledge and understanding of patents to assist in a number of matters involving patent litigation.

Dr. Pfeifer has published numerous papers to various organizations, covering topics such as new guardrail systems, energy absorbing guardrail terminals, breakaway sign mechanisms, and material handling technology. He has shared his expertise with many organizations on topics including vehicle collisions, bicycle accidents, roadway construction zones, and accident reconstruction expert witness utilization. Dr. Pfeifer is a registered Professional Engineer in nine states and he continues to refine his skills and knowledge of accident reconstruction and roadside safety by staying current with new technology and best practices. Dr. Pfeifer has extensive experience with providing deposition and trial testimony as an Engineering Expert. See Dr. Pfeifer's Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

Automobile Collisions Tractor-Trailer Collisions Guardrails / Bridge Rails Construction Zones Bicycle Accidents Pedestrian Accidents Motorcycle Accidents Occupant Kinematics

Roadside Safety Airbag Control Module (ACM) Analysis Tractor Trailer Electronic Control Module (ECM) Analysis Product Failure Analysis Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Evaluation Restraint System Analysis Patent Litigation Technical Analysis

Dr. Ian M. Zeller, PhD, PE, ACTAR, is an accomplished engineer with more than 14 years of experience in Biomechanics and Computational Dynamics fields. He has investigated hundreds of cases ranging from motor vehicle accidents, recreational incidents, medical device designs, as well as injuries from product liability all across the United States. 

Dr. Zeller has graduate level experience in computational dynamics and orthopedic biomechanics with a specific emphasis in dynamics, vibrations, joint contact mechanics, and muscle control during static and dynamic loading applications. Dr. Zeller’s past research includes clinical and computational analysis of the human body with respect to the design and implantation of orthopedic devices for the knee, hip, and spine. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented research at both technical and surgical conferences in North America, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Zeller also worked with surgeons across the United States in the design and assessment of knee replacement devices, including personalized and prototype devices to optimize for efficacy and safety. 

Dr. Zeller is also accredited as a traffic accident reconstructionist and continues to conduct research as well as maintain a current knowledge of developing trends and best practices in the biomechanics and engineering fields. Dr. Zeller has published to various organizations on topics ranging from knee replacement design, forward solution modeling, joint mechanics, personalized joint replacements, material structures and properties as well as biological modeling of disease distributions. He also has an extensive testifying history including depositions, trials, and arbitrations. See Dr. Zeller's Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

Biomechanical Analysis Accident Reconstruction Injury Consistency Mechanism of Injury Analysis Vehicle Occupant Kinematics Falling Object Mechanics and Analysis Bicycle Accidents Pedestrian Accidents Amusement Park and Playground Accidents Crash Data Retrieval and Analysis

Product Failure Analysis Seat Belt Analysis Restraint System Occupant Position Determination Sequential Events Analysis Speed Analysis Vehicle Damage Consistency Collision Avoidance Material Fracture Analysis

Dr. Michael Hill, PhD, PE, has over 20 years of experience in the field of Biomechanics, including over 6 years of experience investigating, analyzing, and professing matters involving a variety of forensic engineering issues. He is an expert in experimental, theoretical, and computational tissue biomechanics, with a focus on injury mechanisms, human tissue damage, and nonlinear soft tissue mechanics. In his current role, Dr. Hill applies a biomedical perspective to a variety of cases, including vehicle and pedestrian collisions; biomechanical analysis and injury consistency; occupant and pedestrian kinematics; product and machinery failures; and slip, trip, and fall investigations.

Dr. Hill is a registered and licensed Professional Engineer in multiple States and holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Bioengineering with a focus on Biomechanics. He has investigated hundreds of cases involving motor vehicle accidents, slip, trip, and fall accidents, medical device failures, and industrial accidents across the United States. 

Dr. Hill has collaborated with cardiovascular and orthopedic surgeons, engineers, and scientists in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom on various medical research projects. He has lectured in the field of biomechanics and numerical methods, and his research has been presented at over 40 international and national scientific conferences and published in 17 academic articles with over 1,000 citations. Dr. Hill also has an extensive history of testifying in depositions and trials. See Dr. Hill's Full Bio & CV.

Expertise:

Vehicle Accident Reconstruction Occupant Kinematics Orthopedic and Cardiovascular Biomechanics Human Tissue Damage Mechanics Slip, Trip, and Fall Analysis

Computational Mechanics  Experimental Biomechanics Image Analysis Computational Modeling Event Date Recorder (EDR) Data Retrieval and Analysis Automobile Restraint Analysis

View Quality Forensic Engineering's Tire Defect, Fire, & Accident Reconstruction Consulting Profile.

Expert Background: Dr. Thomas L. Read is the Principal and CEO at A. Read Consulting, LLC. He received his PhD. from Stanford University in 1972 and has over 25 years of manufacturing experience in electronics, metallurgy, factory safety, failure analysis, glass fracture, glass failure and bottle failure. As a member of the electronics industry, he has earned process patents and has an extensive background in manufacturing techniques.

In parallel, Dr. Read has spent over twenty five years as a consultant to attorneys and engineers. He has given more than 100 depositions and has appeared in court numerous times.

Company Profile: Read Consulting, LLC is a full service laboratory providing services in the following areas:

Failure Analysis; Factory Safety and Personal Injury (including machine guards and manufacturing safety)

Glass Failure Analysis - Glass Fracture, Glass Failures and Bottle Failure

Metal and Ceramic Failure

Grinding Wheel Failures

Intellectual Property and Patent Disputes

Product Liability and Product Quality

Manufacturing Disagreements (such as Intellectual Property, Failed equipment and Contract Disputes)

Reverse Engineering

William C. Stein, Jr., PE, CCM, has more than 45 years of Roadway / Heavy Highway Construction and Materials Engineering experience. He has a rich and varied work history that includes construction materials engineering for highways and bridges, industrial plants, high rise offices, and power plants. He has worked for private owners and general contractors as well as the Department of Transportation.

Litigation Support - Mr. Stein Offers consulting and expert services for attorneys on issues regarding road, street, highway, temporary traffic control, runway, and earthwork; asphalt, concrete, coatings and other construction materials; designs, plans, specifications, CPM scheduling (Primavera) and contract documents; right-of-way issues; and work zone safety. Licensed in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas, he performs contract performance forensic investigations and provides consulting, expert reports, rebuttals, and testimony if required.

Areas of Expertise:

Highway Construction Roadway Construction Bridge Construction Highway Engineering Materials Engineering Construction Site Work

Traffic Safety Concrete / Cement Building Contractor Liability Construction Damages Scheduling Delay and Analysis Soil Analysis

Certifications:

• Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
• Certified Primavera Basic (CPM)
• Certified Primavera Advanced (CPM)
• Certified LADOTD Structural (bridge)
• Inspector/Technician Certified Troxler
• Humboldt Nuclear Moisture/ Density Operator
• Lead Abatement
• Certified Quality Compliance Surveillance in Fossil Power Plants, Organic & Inorganic Coatings Application and Inspection
• Certified Traffic Control Supervisor
• Certified Flagger Instructor

Mechanical Engineer - Turbomachinery Expert. Gas turbine engines, steam turbines, jet engines, compressors, pumps, expanders, generators, cogeneration, combustion equipment, diesel engines, and reciprocating compressors. 

Failure analysis, stress analysis, mechanical design, design analysis, troubleshooting, performance analysis, durability assessment. Access to metallurgical laboratory. Experienced Expert witness. 

Please see our Service List at https://sbkushnick.com/servicelist.pdf for a concise description.

Summit Associates of Bedford is a Materials and Manufacturing firm offering growth strategy, operations improvement, and international sourcing to commercial clients ranging in size from $3 to $150 million.

Summit Associates has a record of fixing troubled organizations and driving growth in complex technology based operations. Skilled at positioning small and middle market companies for sustained growth, they have commercial experience in ten countries, including creation and oversight of global partnerships in Europe and India and acquisition, sale, and licensing of fifteen technologies in seven countries.

Consulting Services:

Turnaround Leadership Organizational Change and Alignment Accelerated New Product / Market Development Product Launch

Lean Manufacturing Technology Acquisition Sale and Licensing International Partnerships Technology Valuation

Principal, Thomas W. Caldwell, PE, has over 40 years of experience in Materials Research and Development, Process and Product Development, and Manufacturing Operations in the Precision Cast and Machined Products industry.

Mr. Caldwell has designed and manufactured components for consumer and industrial products, including safety-critical applications such as aircraft landing gear brakes, seat belt lockup devices, windshield wiper, and window lift motor systems. He has experience creating and guiding technology development and manufacturing partnerships in Europe and Asia, licensing and selling intellectual property and creating supply chains in China.

Mr. Caldwell has lectured in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, and India on manufacturing premium quality metal products and manufacturing processes, and was a technical paper peer reviewer for 20 years for the Society of Automotive Engineers. A United States patent holder, he has published peer reviewed research in electrochemistry and materials processing, and has written and spoken numerous times on the subject of Materials Selection.

View Thomas A. Caldwell's Expert Witness Profile.

Bransford Pickett, PE, BSc, MScBA, has over 25 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineer. A California Registered Professional Engineer, Mr. Pickett holds a BSE from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a MScBA in Finance from San Diego State University. His Materials Handling and Engineering Consulting Services are offered to insurance and end user companies nationally and internationally. The combination of field expertise, engineering, and regulatory compliance experience provide Mr. Pickett's clients with a complete package of services. The depth and breadth of his expertise covers many successful design projects including commercial and military ships, many complex material handling activities, testing requirements of shipboard system, and development and implementation of compliance programs. Many of the major projects include first of a kind challenges such as the Exxon Valdez post - accident docking and structural repairs, commission testing of navy auxiliary ships’ equipment including fueling systems, the US Navy Shughart Class Container Ship Conversion program, as well as shaft and appurtenance handling on the US Navy Watson Class ships. Included in these projects were planned engineered multi - crane lifts that reached in excess of 400 tons. These projects focused on safe, economic, simple designs compliant with applicable state and federal regulations, and national standards.

Engineered Material Handling Design and Review:

• Services include single and multi-crane lift plans, material transport, and equipment testing. Design, review and analysis of supporting calculation of stresses imposed on lifting, supporting structure, and material handling equipment, and rigging gear. Equipment specification scope and review

Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering:

• Perform intact, damage and probabilistic damage stability, and structural analysis on marine structures including barges, ships, and complimentary structures in accordance with regulatory bodies; ABS, Federal or State government

Training and Compliance:

• Operator training compliance to National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, NCCCO, requirements for tower crane, mobile crane, overhead crane, articulating crane operator training and certification, signal person, and rigger certification
• Compliance covers applicable national and international standards that include the ABS, ASTM, ASM, ASME, ANSI, WSTDA, ALI, etc. and DIN, EN, FEM to list a few. National regulations include state and federal OSHA requirements as well as DOE, military specifications and standards

View Bransford Pickett's Expert Witness Profile.

Landscapes West has focused on the design, installation, and maintenance of residential and small commercial landscapes since 1973. They specialize in the Design/Build of all phases of landscape construction, including a wide range of hardscape surfaces, including brick, natural and synthetic stone, interlocking and permeable pavers, and specialty concrete finishes and colors. 

Services:

Landscape Design Landscape Construction Landscape Art & Pottery BBQ’s, Fireplaces & Ring Pavers & Stone Walls, Pillars & Gates Age-In-Place Construction Drought Tolerant Landscapes

Custom Concrete Pools & Water Features Irrigation & Rainwater Harvesting Lighting Wood Construction & Outdoor Rooms Drought Tolerant Landscape Commercial Xeriscape and Slope Retention Slope Retention

Principal, Stephen George, has over 40 years of Landscape Design and Construction Defect experience. Mr. George has owned and operated Landscapes West since 1980, and is still providing design / build and maintenance services to his clients. His projects have included commercial, apartments, condominiums, and residential landscapes. 

Mr. George is a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), the Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA), the Irrigation Association (IA), the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI), and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating. 

View Stephen George's Expert Witness Profile.

Dan W. Wall, BSME is a Mechanical Engineer who specializes in the fields of Accident Reconstruction, Biomechanics and Motor Vehicle Injury Causation, Human Factors, and Injury Prevention in Motor Vehicle Design. Mr. Wall offers his consulting services to attorneys, vehicle manufacturers, insurance companies, cities, states, counties, and individuals, both nationally and internationally.

Background Experience:

Wall Accident Reconstruction, Inc., 1996-Present, Investigation and reconstruction of traffic collisions, highway traffic safety, biomechanics of impact trauma, injury causation, engineering analysis of design and design failure, statistical analysis, human factors, slip and falls and expert witness testimony.

For more information, visit www.wallaccidentreconstruction.com

Also view Dan Wall's article in Attorney At Law Magazine at http://attorneyatlawmagazine.com/phoenix/2014/01/17/accident-reconstruction-expert-dan-wall/

Cromack Engineering Associates, Inc., Tempe, AZ, 1987-1998, Investigation and reconstruction of traffic collisions, product liability, biomechanics, and expert witness testimony.

Martin Marietta Aerospace, Denver, CO, 1980-1987, Senior Engineer, Design and analysis of aerospace systems. Projects included Man Maneuvering Unit with special recognition by NASA, Titan 34D Missile Systems, and Strategic Defense Initiative.

Summary of Experience:

Building & Roadway Construction & Design Automotive Technology Aircraft Technology and Maintenance Motorcycle Technology and Experience Off-road Experience and Design ATV Technology and Experience Slip and Fall Heavy Vehicle Trailer Design Commercial Trailer Under-ride Guard Design

FMVSS Standards Vehicle Design and Performance Tire Design and Failure Analysis Crash Worthiness Roadside Design Signage, Lighting, and Conspicuity Environmental Conditions and Effects Animation and Computer Simulations Crash and Acceleration Testing Low Speed Vehicle Collision Testing

View Dan Wall's Expert Witness Profile.