Cranes - Hoists and Rigging Accident Reconstruction Consultants: 7

Ronald Tyson is a Building and Premises Expert in the construction business for over 45 years.  He has years of hands on experience in the individual trades as a tradesman, subcontractor and general contractor.  

Mr. Tyson has been a Michigan licensed builder since 1967 and has functioned as a general contractor and provided supervisory tasks for Tyson Enterprises, Incorporated and other contractors on all types of industrial, public, commercial and residential construction projects since 1963. He is a member of numerous building code and standard authorities, including but not limited to IBC [BOCA, UBC] NFPA, IAEI, NAHB, etc.

Mr. Tyson's experience and expertise can help clients with contracts, safety, and other obligations as they may affect project control of contractors and/or project managers.  He can advise on the duties in new and remodeling construction and maintenance required by the premises owner.

Litigation Support - Mr. Tyson has served the legal community as a Construction Expert Witness for 35 years. He has worked for both plaintiff and defendant attorneys. He is available to perform onsite inspections, research, review litigation matters, makes drawings, interview litigants, and provides evidence for court, including correct building code and life safety statutes and standards as they may affect personal injury claims, construction, contracts, etc. and causation.  Mr. Tyson has never been disqualified in over 200 times in court.

Areas of Expertise:

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.

Michael C. Wright, PE, CSP, CPE is a Professional Engineer with over 35 years of academic, practical, and specialized knowledge of Engineering, Construction, Safety, Maintenance, Demolition and Training in general industry and construction activities.

 Mr. Wright's expertise is a definite plus in providing clients with leading edge information and insight. A licensed and practicing engineer, he rounds out his knowledge as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Plant Engineer to provide an insightful and accurate understanding of the issues involved in a case.

Mr. Wright has completed over 600 hours of specialized safety training, serves on ANSI and ASTM Standards committees and provides a thorough knowledge of OSHA Regulations, Directives and Letters of Interpretation. A recognized author, presenter, and trainer, Mr. Wright communicates the issues clearly for all to understand. His expert witness experience is a balanced blend of defense, plaintiff and OSHA Solicitor cases. He is licensed in 46 states. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Mr. Wright's Curriculum Vitae

Since 1988, Real-World Forensic Engineering, LLC ("RWFE") has provided engineering services to industries and government labs, as well as litigation support to both plaintiff and defense attorneys practicing in many areas.

RWFE Areas of Expertise Include:

At RWFE, we proudly distinguish ourselves by our Four C's:

CREDENTIALS. COMPETENCE. CREDIBILITY. COMMUNICATION.

Design Evaluation – Accident Investigation – Intellectual Property - Failure Analysis – Fire Cause & Origin – Component Testing - Computer Aided Drafting – Accident Animation - Expert Witness & Litigation Support

www.ExpertEngineering.com

R. Kevin Smith PE, BSME, MMAE, has been a specialist in Engineering Forensic Safety and Design for 35 years. He has consulted on over a 1,000 matters nationwide. Mr. Smith is a registered professional engineer and holds a BSME and MMAE from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He specializes in Material Handling Equipment Safety, including lift trucks, dock safety, truck loading, conveyors, and aerial work platform safety.

Mr. has been actively involved as a member of the committee that writes the Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks (ASME/ANSI B56.1) for over 30 years. He also serves on the B56.6 committee (rough terrain lift trucks) and the ANSI A92.5 and A92.6 subcommittees (self-propelled elevating work platforms). 

Litigation Support - Mr. Smith formerly worked for Triodyne, Inc. for over 15 years as a forensic engineer/principal engineer. As President of R. K. Smith Engineering Inc., he currently has a laboratory for examination and testing, and owns or has access to varied testing equipment and tools. He has testified at depositions and trials on several hundred matters. Mr. Smith has performed hundreds of investigations into product failures involving injury and property damage, and has reconstructed numerous accidents. His expertise is available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. Mr. Smith also is on the Adjunct Math faculty at Prairie State College. 

Areas of Expertise:

View R. Kevin Smith's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. J.P. Purswell, PhD, PE, CPE has extensive experience in Human Factors, Ergonomics and Safety Engineering. He has completed projects for clients in all these areas and regularly teaches ergonomics and safety engineering at Colorado State University. 

Dr. Purswell Consults with Manufacturers on Product Safety Issues, including Warnings and Instructions. He also Consults with Employers regarding the development and implementation of safe and ergonomically sound work practices, including the identification and control of ergonomic risk factors for back injuries and upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders. 

Dr. Purswell has prepared ANSI Z535 compliant instructions and warnings for attic ventilators, deer-stands, LPG hoses, ammonia hoses, warehouse rack systems, and arts and craft products among others. He has also prepared ANSI Z129.1 compliant warnings for a range of chemical products from gasoline pump warnings to brake pads and ammonia hoses, and OSHA and ANSI Z400.1 compliant material safety data sheets for several chemical manufacturers. 

He is the author of more than 20 publications or presentations on product safety, occupational safety, printed warnings, and auditory warnings. He has been inducted into Alpha Pi Mu, the Industrial Engineering Honor Society and is a recipient of the Gordon Fellowship from the University of Oklahoma. 

Consulting Services:

• Design and Testing of Instruction Manuals and on Product Warnings
• Usability Testing of Products for Ease-of-Use and Safety
• OSHA Audits for Employers
• Employer Training - Benchmarking Safety Performance Against a Company's Industry
• Employer Training - How to Prepare For OSHA Inspections

View Dr. Purswell's Expert Witness Profile.

David Smith is an experienced mechanical engineer (MS, PE) with seven issued patents. Award-winning inventor. Vice President of Alpine Engineering and Design, a mechanical engineering consulting company with clients around the United States ranging from individual inventors to Fortune 500 companies. Worked on the development of multiple successful products including among other things: aerial lifts, garbage trucks, thrill rides, ziplines, trailers, oil and gas equipment, exercise equipment, manufacturing equipment, and multiple consumer products. 

Graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Completed a master's of science degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in product development. Licensed professional engineer (PE) and certified safety professional in comprehensive practice (CSP). Certified trainer for boom lifts, scissor lifts, rough terrain, and counterbalanced forklifts. Over 10 years of experience in product development, patents, equipment safety, and risk assessments. 

Experienced expert witness having drafted over 200 reports/declarations in patent cases and catastrophic injury and death cases. Designed and built multiple custom testing devices to obtain data and evaluate opinions. Created multiple demonstratives to explain the mechanics and circumstances of accident sequences and patented devices. Testified in deposition 11 times and in trial once.