Case files

Past Electrical Engineering Expert Witness Experience:

Pump Station construction and failures, Emergency Generator failures, Electrical Equipment Control failures, Condominium Electrical Construction Defects, Winery Electrical Construction Defects, Personal Injury; due to traffic light failure, Shock and Electrocution, Pump Failure, Cost Estimates, Sewer and Flood Control Systems. I have been both an Engineering Consultant and Testifying Expert Witness on cases for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Generators and Transfer Switches

A common problem with Emergency or Standby Generators is that they don’t start when they are really needed. This can happen for many reasons, but never the less; catastrophic damages can occur when they don’t start. Pumps may not start, leading to flood damage from overflowing Sewer Wells or Flood Control Systems failure to keep the storm water down be low flood stage. Generators are used in many more applications than just critical care areas such as hospitals and fire departments.

Construction Defects

Construction Defects can occur for many reasons, commonly we find that there is an electrical material failure but more likely than not, the reason is poor workmanship. Poor workmanship can be caused by attitude, moral or ignorance of the National Electrical Code. By a site investigation the cause of the Construction Defect can be clearly determined. Construction defects may lead to personal injury, death, or fire.

Personal Injuries

Many electrical injuries are cased by the lack of grounding or poor grounding. When there is a line fault against a conductive surface the ground system is designed to clear the fault by tripping the circuit protection. Should the fault not be cleared and the conductive surface becomes energized there is the potential that an Electric Shock can happen. A Electrical Shock can be deadly or may impair a person for the rest of their life. Water and electricity can be especially deadly, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) when installed properly may save a life.

Habitibility

California Civil Code 1941.1

Inspections can be performed and reported for the following items:

A dwelling also may be considered uninhabitable (unlivable) if it substantially lacks any of the following:

• Plumbing facilities in good working order, including hot and cold running water, connected to a sewage disposal system.
• Gas facilities in good working order.
• Heating facilities in good working order.
• An electric system, including lighting, wiring, and equipment, in good working order.
• A working toilet, wash basin, and bathtub or shower. The toilet and bathtub or shower must be in a room which is ventilated and allows privacy.
• A kitchen with a sink that cannot be made of an absorbent material such as wood.
• Natural lighting in every room through windows or skylights. Windows in each room must be able to open at least halfway for ventilation, unless a fan provides mechanical ventilation.
• Working smoke detectors in all units of multi-unit buildings, such as duplexes and apartment complexes.
• Apartment complexes also must have smoke detectors in common stairwells.
• Ground fault circuit interrupters for swimming pools and antisuction protections for wading pools in apartment complexes and other residential settings (but not single family residences),