Product Liability
Our Product Liability Group includes Mechanical, Materials, and Electrical Engineers supported by our Warnings and Human Factors experts. These experts have designed, manufactured, tested, and repaired a wide variety of consumer, industrial, agricultural, recreational, construction, food service, and medical products. Common products include: household appliances; children’s products and toys; machinery (design, guard, warn); refrigeration and freezer systems; forklifts, man lifts, cranes, conveyors; hoists, trolleys, chains; ladders, stepstools, tables; scaffolds, tree-stands; shelving, racks, displays; bicycles, strollers; furniture, chairs; elevators, escalators; clothing; power tools, yard equipment; boats, ski jets, snowmobiles; tents; sports and recreational equipment; playground and amusement park equipment; automatic and manual doors; agricultural equipment.
| First Name | Last Name | Title | CV Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul | Albanese, ASGCA | Golf Course Design Management Expert | Golf course design, construction, management, operations, and maintenance; resort master plans; clubhouse planning; residential planning; public park planning; practice facilities; ski mountainside design; maintenance crew management; mowing operations; permitting and financing; turfgrass science; landscape architecture; golf course grading and draining; brownfield design. |
| Douglas B. | Baumgarten, CHFD, CMES, CPES | Exercise & Fitness Expert | Recreational facility design, operation, and maintenance; exercise equipment; codes and standards; sports risk management; incident reconstruction; warnings liability; supervision liability; standard of care liability; personal coaching/training; fitness testing; instructor training. |
| Mike | Baumgartner | Tent Expert | Tent layout, installation, repair, maintenance, inspection, and tear-down; tent technology trainer including usage during adverse weather conditions; tent operations for sizes ranging up to approximately 10,000 square feet. |
| Gregory L. | Boso, PE | Civil Engineer | Potable water, wastewater, and storm water; culverts; landslides; foundations; hydrologic and hydraulic analyses; flood plain management; water collection, pumping, treatment, distribution, and storage; residential, commercial, and industrial site development; blasting; transportation engineering; building construction; building code administration and enforcement; building inspections; trusses and sheathing; fences; hazardous materials; construction project resident engineering; fire fighting and training; emergency vehicle operation. |
| Cheryl Ann | Carlson | Dog Expert | Dog behavior, standard-of-care, and temperament; attacks and bites; police K-9, including drugs and explosives detection training; breeding, training, and boarding; protection and security; certification and judging; emergency medical services. |
| Timothy J. | Dickson, PE, SE | Civil/Structural Engineer | Civil/structural engineering; field investigations; laboratory studies; commercial and residential buildings and bridges constructed of reinforced concrete (conventional, pre-stressed and post-tensioned), structural steel, masonry and timber; foundation underpinning systems; earth retention systems using soil nail walls, segmental retaining walls and sheet piles; structural failures/collapses; water infiltration; roofing failures; building façade evaluations; work zone safety; windows, doors, floors, stairs, and ramps; fire, wind, ice, and snow damage; professional liability claims; preparation of construction documents; evaluation of field test-data; property loss; construction defects; natural gas explosion damage; building settlement; deteriorated concrete and masonry; building rehabilitation and renovation; high wind, tornado, and blizzard damage; precast concrete planks; structural steel frames; fatigue and static performance tests; jointless bridges; parking garage rehabilitation; bracing failure investigations. |
| Todd D. | Feliks, PE | Civil Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Michigan Hospital, healthcare, and educational building design and construction, including flooring, painting, lighting and ceiling replacement; building standards and safety code compliance, including ADA, ANSI, NFPA, BOCA, IBC, and OSHA; Professional Liability issues and Standards of Practice; clean rooms and operating rooms; project contracts, including shop drawings, submittals, bid and project documents, and change orders. |
| Jon L. | Filliez | Elevator & Escalator Expert | Elevator and escalator maintenance, service and repair; elevator and escalator damage and malfunction evaluations; long range elevator modernization projects. |
| Larry | Fischer, RA, AIA, NCARB | Architect | All stages of planning, design, and construction supervision for healthcare, educational, corporate, commercial, industrial, and residential buildings; zoning compliance; ANSI and Life Safety Code compliance; ADA compliance; architectural professional liability issues and standards of practice; clean and vibration-free rooms; personal injury and property damage investigations. |
| Richard A. | Gregory | Elevator/ Escalator Expert | Litigation (plaintiff and defense) involving damage, malfunction, or personal injury/death involving elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, and similar equipment; ANSI/ASME A17 Code interpretation and compliance; elevator/escalator maintenance programs; inspections and condition assessments; control systems and controllers; construction and modernization; contract negotiations. |
| Paul H. | Gross, CCM | Meterologist | Weather-related evaluations for vehicular accident reconstruction (including marine, aviation, and off-road); special events planning; construction delays; slip-and-fall incidents, including black ice formation; lightning strikes; property damage; time-of-death investigations; fire investigations. |
| Michael W. | Hayslip, ESQ., PE, CSP | Senior Civil Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Ohio Construction issues, including safety and health-training; developing, maintaining, and enforcing safety policies and programs; OSHA compliance; hazardous material transportation; field safety inspections; Workers Compensation claim management; corporate safety issues; carpenter; surveyor. |
| Richard | Hermance, FE, ACE | Vehicle Crash Reconstruction & Snowmobile Expert | Vehicle crashes; snowmobile operations and functions, including safety; operator performance evaluations; speed determinations; skid/scrape analysis; deformation/penetration analysis; vehicle and component research and testing; seat belts, including child restraints; pedestrian and bicycle incidents; crash computer simulations; trail design and safety, including signage; human factors, including daytime/nighttime visibility and reaction times; occupant trajectory; motorcycles, ATVs, racing cars, and watercraft; buses, motor homes, and trailers, including campers; dynamic traction analysis; injury and crash biomechanics; Crash Data Recorder (CDC) analysis; acceleration and braking tests; farm equipment. |
| James R. | Heyl, PE | Senior Electrical Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Michigan Industrial equipment; material handling systems; automation and robotic systems; power supplies; control systems; computer and PLC programming; quality control and safety; manufacturing operations; facilities construction and maintenance; electrical fires and explosions for equipment, structures, and vehicles; switchgear and substations; automated machinery; safety, predictive, and preventive maintenance programs; conveyor systems; safety interlocks; safety violations; instrumentation systems; AC/DC motors; code compliance; marina electrical systems; underground electrical distribution; welding systems; test cells; lighting systems including sport facilities and roadways. |
| James R. | Hill, PE | Senior Mechanical Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Wisconsin Building HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and electrical, including design, installation damage, malfunction, and personal injury; code and safety compliance, including ADA; maintenance requirements and implementation; hot water and steam boilers; air/steam turbines, compressors, pumps, fans, and vacuum systems; refrigeration and freezer defects; bakery and food processing equipment and facilities; power and lighting systems; locker rooms and restrooms; ventilation and indoor air quality requirements. |
| Blaine J. | Hoffmann, MS, OSHM | Safety Expert | Workplace safety, training, investigations, accident investigations and audits; legal aspects of safety and health; training and development programs; written program development; interpretation of OSHA general industry and construction industry, healthcare industry standards; VPP program management; MSHA training and regulatory interpretations; 40-hr HAZWOPER; Arc-Flash (NFPA 70E). |
| Steven C. | Howard | Police, Security, Weapons, and Ballistics Expert | Police operations/conduct; security procedures; building, personal, personnel, and yacht security; self-defense claims; self-defense tactics; criminal evidence and procedures; DNA evidence; wildlife regulations and management; crime scene preservation; searches of homes, vehicles, and persons; drug enforcement operations; international border operations; electronic surveillance; questioning and interrogations; high speed pursuit driving; firearms training; detention center booking, fingerprinting, photographing, and in-processing procedures; arrest reports; illegal weapons; shotgun patterning; firearm and ammunition malfunctions; setting trigger pulls; defects in warnings and design; tool-mark identifications; internal, external, terminal ballistics; shooting reconstruction; gunshot residue and cross-contamination; stab and cut investigations; accidental discharge; ejections analysis; penetration testing; serial number restoration; weapon tampering; bomb and incendiary devices; weapons safety; forced entry tools; armor; armored cars and homes; weapons repair; ammunition reloading; tranquilizer guns; industrial manufacturing tools and equipment; hand tools; close circuit cameras; motion detectors; metal detectors; security doors; lock manipulation; alarm systems; asset verification; missing persons; document fraud; landlord-tenant law; family law and child custody; immigration and naturalization law; deportation hearings; social security law; disability claims. |
| Daniel B. | Kennedy, PhD, CPP, CSP | Security & Safety Expert | Premises security and safety including planning, implementation and evaluation; crime forseeability; standards of care; causation issues; use of force; police pursuits; custodial suicides; failure to protect; health care services; confinement conditions; surveillance security systems; profiling and threat assessment; workplace violence; security training management and administration; police administration; investigation methodology; comparative security; victimology; inmate counseling; rape and sexual violence; spousal abuse; residence and lodging security; mall and parking lot safety and security; loss prevention; shoplifting; crime scene profiling; victimized tourists; insanity judgments; correctional reform; cocaine-related violence; crowd and riot control; school violence; negligent hiring; police liability. |
| Dennis Michael | King, FAIA, FESD, LEED, AP | Architect | Construction property damage, defects, and personal injury; architecture construction claims; premises/professional liabilities; construction operations; construction marketing; project management; claims arbitration; dispute settlement; LEED Green Buildings; energy and environmental design. |
| John P. | Lauhoff, PE, CSP | Safety Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Massachusetts Injuries, damage, malfunctions, and personnel issues related to machinery and equipment design, fabrication, maintenance, operations, procedures, training, and safety procedures; accident investigation/reconstruction; slips, trips, and falls; industrial vehicles; machinery/equipment guarding; hand/power tools; work-related injuries; safety grievances; safety training programs; monitor outside contractors. |
| David E. | Leonard, CA | Tree & Landscaping Expert/Arborist | Trees and landscaping; tree felling safety procedures; tree valuations; landscape restoration plans and cost; comprehensive land use planning; tree excavations; soil modifications and remediation; tree preservation; root collar excavation. |
| Stephen K. | Li, RA | Senior Forensic Architect | Building design and planning; codes and standards; security systems; ADA compliance; zoning board regulations; grading and drainage; building failures; warnings; shelving and racks; fall protection; glazing, roofing, walls, windows, foundations, floor treatments, sidewalks; slips, trips and falls on walkways, ramps, stairs, docks, kitchens, and parking lots; illumination issues; design and construction of stairs, railings, ramps, ladders, and scaffolding; architectural professional liability issues and standards of practice; property damage investigations, including wind, water, and hail damage; cost estimating; surveying issues; building mechanical and electrical systems, including refrigeration; injury claim investigations; supervise field construction activities; parking lot safety guidelines. |
| Malcolm K. | Lim, PE | Civil Engineer | Civil/structural design; field investigations; nondestructive testing; high rise buildings; balconies; bridges; piers; power plants; pipes and tunnels; decks; structural distress; excessive displacement; excessive vibration; partial or total collapse; roofing systems; roadway pavements and runways; parking structures; materials testing; concrete products; document control; record creation and maintenance; international standards; corrosion; welding; quality control; certified SCUBA underwater inspections; impulse radar; ultrasonic testing; tunnel linings; garage barrier safety; post-tensioned beams; concrete degradation. |
| Lawrence S. | Mayer, MD, MS, PhD | Medical & Epidemiology Expert | Epidemiology and Biostatistics; statistical data analysis; study and model review; valuation of epidemiological studies and clinical trials; meta-analysis; evaluation of causal content of epidemiological studies; drug and medical development and regulation; product liability; occupational and environmental exposures; medical malpractice; toxicology; cardiology; OB/GYN; surgery; psychiatry/neuropsychiatry; internal medicine; disease prognosis; biomedical informatics; multiple regression; time series modeling; stochastic processes; multivariate analysis; statistical inference; public policy; energy analysis. |
| Susan K. | Murry, MSN, CRPN | Nursing Expert | Patient care; nursing practices; medical facility "standard-of-care" procedures; OSHA compliance; school health; family care including pediatrics, gynecology and gerontology; occupational injury assessment and treatment; child abuse and neglect screening; communicable diseases including STD's; community health education; pharmacology; pathophysiology. |
| Ethan | Parker, PE | Civil Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia Vehicle crash reconstruction, including automobiles, trucks, buses, trailers, motorcycles, water craft, and trains; analysis of mechanical and structural failures, including foundation, wall and roof collapses; vehicle defects and failures, including hydraulic/air brakes, steering and suspension, drive trains, and tires; mold remediation in homes, schools, and commercial buildings; vehicle fires and explosions, including arson; product defects, including mechanical and electrical failures; water infiltration, hail, and wind damage; roadway incidents, including road design and visibility analysis; design analysis; building code compliance; fire investigations; steel structures; glazing and roofing systems; conveyance systems; crane runways; traffic flow and accident patterns; signage and traffic signals. |
| Barry S. | Rope | Packaging/ Material Handling Expert | Packaging and material handling, including products, equipment, procedures and operations; trailer/container/rail car/ocean freight loading, blocking and bracing; transportation and distribution; palletizing, storage and warehousing; product packaging and labeling; packaging materials; technical documentation; HAZMAT regulations; standards compliance; environmental issues; hot melt adhesives; shock and vibration. |
| Donald E. | Sanders, DVM, Dip ACT, PAS | Veterinarian Expert | Animal reproduction; animal welfare; animal biotechnology; animal embryo transfer; livestock water supply; bovine mastitis; animal production; milk production; artificial insemination; farm management; animal parasitism; euthanasia; malpractice; animal environment; dairy management; animal nutrition; animal diseases; stray voltage; toxicology. |
| Thomas H. | Sawyer, Ed.D., NAS, AAHPERD | Recreation, Exercise, and Sport Safety Expert | Sports, exercise, recreation, physical education, amusement, and fitness activities and equipment; facilities operation; sport finance; sport governance; sport law; sport management; sport marketing; sport sociology; facility design including skate parks, aquatics parks, swimming pools, hot tubs/saunas/steam rooms, campus recreational sport facilities, parks/recreational areas, and golf courses; coaching and training. |
| Michael E. | Schack, CCIM | Real Estate and Property Management Expert | Policies and procedures; lease negotiations; property inspections; property maintenance; asset management; landlord-tenant issues; acquisitions; property repositioning; standards of care; security; premises liability; dispositions; loan agreements; equity raising; investment performance; multi-family, office, retail, and industrial real estate; oversight of asset managers, third party property managers; leasing agents, construction managers, and other third party providers; due diligence; value enhancement; training asset managers; real estate appraisals; investment analysis; condemnation; property taxes. |
| Jim | Scott | Railroad Operations, Equipment, and Safety Expert | Railroad operations and equipment; safety training; train performance; commodities transportation; locomotive engineer; brakeman/foreman/conductor; air brakes; event recorders; locomotive engineer training; loading and unloading; end of train devices; derailment investigations; train emergencies; train simulators. |
| Robert B. | Shuman, MD | Pediatric Neurology/Neonatology | Pediatric neurology/neonatology; fetal development; perinatal medicine; birth defects; birth trauma; child development, including schooling; neuropathology; neurotoxicology; neurophysiology; epilepsy; neuroimaging: MRI, CAT, EEF; pharmacology; anatomic pathology; surgical pathology; surgical case review; peripheral nerve disease; stroke; spondylolisthesis; vitamin therapy; Downs Syndrome; electromyography; whiplash injuries; traumatic brain injury; frontal-subcortical circulation; advanced evoke potentials; migraines; headaches; depressive disorders; Alzheimer’s Disease; epileptogenesis; epilepsy; cocaine effects; closed head injuries; AED Therapy; ADHD; developmental disabilities; autism; brain tumors; neurosciences; child abuse; seizures; anti-depressive therapy; prenatal diagnosis; seasonal affective disorder; bipolar disorder; childhood depression; Tourette Syndrome; neuralgia; vagus nerve stimulation; intractable seizures; psychopharmacolory; antipsychotic and psychotropic therapy; antiepileptic drugs. |
| Robert J. | Schutz, PE, PS, CBO | Engineer/Surveyor | Construction/survey claims; premises/professional liabilities; building codes, including mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing, electrical, environmental, and energy; land use law; environmental management; building materials and installation; preparation and review of residential, commercial, and government construction documents; water and sewer utilities; gas line construction/installation; roadway projects; engineered wood products; building and roof structural designs; topographic mapping; swimming pool design; mobile home park designs; disaster mitigation; aircraft hangars; code training and certification; damaged and dilapidated structures; examiner and field inspector; foundations; roadway projects; planner/sanitarian/epidemiologist. |
| Rick A. | Smith, PE | Senior Mechanical Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Ohio Industrial power plants and processes; thermal and combustion systems including boilers, furnaces, and ovens; CFC management; HVAC systems; air pollution control; process and power piping and equipment; cathodic protection; pump failure analysis; heat and fluid transfer processes, including energy conservation. |
| Henry A. | Spiller, D.ABAT, D.ABFE | Toxicologist | Toxic tort; workers compensation; DUI, including drug and alcohol screening results; post-mortem drug and/or toxicology results; chemical and poison toxicology; false positive and negative urine drug screens; malpractice; occupational medicine; pharmacotherapy; addiction; inhalant abuse; mercury exposure; pediatric ingestions. |
| Bruce E. | VanDorpe, CFI, CFEI | Fire & Explosion Investigator | Origin and cause of fires; fraud fires; arson and conspiracies to commit arson; fire science technology; safety engineering; electric and gas appliance fires; auto theft fires; bomb scene investigations; clandestine drug labs; criminal/terrorist incidents; interviews and interrogations; bomb disposal. |
| Chad | Walker | Safety Expert | Construction and industrial equipment safety operations and procedures, including cranes, loaders, bulldozers, backhoes, fork lifts, skid steers, and aerial lifts; safety program training and maintenance; safety equipment requirements and orientations; employee safety and health issue investigations, reviews, and responses; OSHA and JSHA compliance; unsafe working conditions; safety audits; emergency response drills; emergency action plans. |
| William J. | Warfel, PhD, CLU, CPCU | Insurance Industry Expert | Insurance losses involving property damage, punitive damage, and personal injury; breach of contract; bad faith; agent and broker liability issues representing policyholders, insurers, and third parties; general liability; homeowners; personal and commercial auto; commercial property; business income; individual life and disability; professional liability; employee dishonesty; workers compensation; financial institution bond; inland marine; surety bond policies. |
| Sander I. | White, DDS | Dentistry/Oral Surgery Expert | Dentistry and oral surgery; review dental and medical records; prosthodontics; clinical instructor; restorative dentistry; dental implants. |
| William W. | Whitworth, PE | Utility Line/Pole Expert and Electrical Engineer | Power poles and overhead and underground electric power lines; NESC code requirements; wood pole analysis; pole loading, guying, and buckling; material failure analysis; compliance audits; conductor sag and tension; conductor blowouts; fuse coordination; fault studies; circuit loading; voltage drop analysis; capacitor bank and control; system reliability indices; system reliability; improvement recommendations; system inventories; inspections; mapping; underground and overhead distribution systems; engineering policies; programmable capacitor controls; guy/anchor failures; easements; estimates; training seminars. |
| Schield M. | Wikas, DO, DF, FAOCD | Medical Dermatology | Osteopathic medicine; internal medicine; pharmacology; therapeutics; phlebology; dermal fillers; Botox injections; dermatology, including diseases, cancers, surgery, and injections; sclerotheraphy; hair transplantation/restoration; Staphylococcal Scaled-Skin Syndrome; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome; Gianotti-Crosti Syndrome; Hyperimmunoglobulin E. Syndrome; Scurvy; Epithelioid Angoisarcoma; Epithelioid Hemangioma; Scleromyxedema; Merkel Cell Carcinoma; cancer screening; venereal diseases; bacterial and fungal infections; cutaneous manifestations; hair and nail diseases; atopic dermatitis; cutaneous malignancy cancer; bullous diseases; Pyoderma Gangrenosum; acne/rosacea; psoriasis therapy. |
| Michael T. | Williams, PE | Civil/Environmental Engineer | Licensed Engineer in Michigan, Indiana, New Mexico Civil/sanitary design including water distribution, sanitary and storm water sewer systems, pump stations, and wastewater treatment plants; administration, inspection and testing for construction of storm sewers, wastewater collection and treatment facilities, activated sludge systems, aerated lagoons, oxidation ditches, sequencing batch reactors, and secondary/tertiary treatment systems; inspector/technician training; site surveying and safety plans; project certifications; failures and malfunctions including foundations, retaining walls, roofs, structural failures, appliances, furnaces, swimming pools, spas, saunas, plumbing systems, hydraulic systems, fire suppression systems, environmental releases, and environmental remediation systems; hydrogeological investigations, aquifer tests, design and permitting. |