Lighting Expert Witnesses: 3

Thomas H. Burtness, PE, is an Electrical Engineer specializing in both Electrical and Building Construction - equipment selection, specification, and installation (actually “working with the tools”), as well as cost control techniques.

Background - Mr. Burtness has 40+ years of experience in the design, specification, construction contract administration, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of electrical power, on-site generation, distribution, control, and instrumentation systems and equipment for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal occupancies. His experience also includes water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment plants, and military facilities.

Additional expertise includes Illumination Engineering for street, roadway, and area lighting including photometric footcandle requirements, calculations, field verification, equipment specifications, installation, and analysis of failure, glare, overlighting and underlighting.

Litigation Support - Since, 1981, Mr. Burtness has been providing forensic electrical engineering services to insurance companies and attorneys including accident and failure investigations, determination of cause and origin, litigation support, expert opinions, reports, and testimony. His services are available nationwide, with PE registration by comity available in most states.

Cases Involve:

Industrial Accidents Electrocution Personal Injury Fire Equipment and Machinery Failure

Failure of Safety Circuitry Grounding Lightning Damage and Fire Construction Defects / Contract Claims Design and Specification Disputes

View Thomas Burtness' Consulting Profile.

John Hatcher is an industry leader in Building Systems Engineering including, Information Technology, Audio Visual, Security, Building Automation Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Intelligent Building Concepts and Commissioning. He has worked on some of the most prestigious facilities in the world including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. 

Illumination Engineer, consultant, teacher, inventor, forensics investigator, and expert in lighting.   My 30+ years of experience has immersed me in different facets of the lighting industry.  I have worked for companies that cater to lighting design, lighting equipment manufacturing, 3d modeling lighting software, sales and service including post occupancy evaluation. My design experience includes indoor/outdoor lighting, safety and security, lighting and human health, glare, roadway lighting, sports lighting, and lighting standards.  Since 1999, I have been involved with standard writing committees within the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).  For the IES, I served on 13 IES committees, of which was the chair of 7 of those committees producing over 11 standards documents.  

Teaching has also been a part of my career, instructing diverse groups from high school students to seasoned lighting professionals allowing these individuals to understand the concepts on their level.  In my practice, I have designed over 8000 designs in addition to teaching over 5000 students in my courses and presentations on lighting design, illumination engineering and the lighting industry.  I am a certified instructor for IES SEM courses, am a Lead instructor for the IES Street and Area Lighting Conference (SALC), as well as the SALC Education Coordinator from 2010 to 2019.  The University of Colorado  guest lecturer for three years.  I have authored several lighting courses and seminars as well as presenting them.  

View Matthew Hartley's Consulting Profile.