Areas of Expertise
Qualified Expertise for Your Specific Need
The firm’s engineers, architect, scientists and veterinarian have “hands-on” professional experience. Our team provides expertise including the areas listed below:
The dynamics of a vehicle accident involve a number of factors including driver action/inaction, the tire-pavement interaction, vehicle systems operations, roadway geometry and the roadside border area among other factors. Drivers are sometimes compromised as a result of the accident. The ability to understand the interrelationship between all the factors and properly interpret the physical evidence is critical to a successful reconstruction.
- Perception-Reaction Time
- The Driving Task
- Sight Distance
- Weather
- Road Surface and Conditions
- Lighting and Illumination
- Brake Performance
- Vehicle Systems
- Crush Damage
- Skid Marks, Gouges and Yaw Marks
- Pavement-Tire Interactions
- Commercial Vehicle Operations
- Hours of Service Law
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
- Statutory Vehicle Laws
- Speed, Time and Distance
- Vehicle Inspection
We approach to automobile, trucks, buses and heavy vehicle accidents using accident reconstruction, failure analysis, biomechanical engineering (trauma and injury), and roadway in a comprehensive manner. If possible, we retrieve and analyze crash data from the on-board computer of specific vehicles that were involved in collisions or other accidents.
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
Bathing facilities represent a complicated environment that can result in accidents and claims involving falls in bathtubs, showers, bathrooms, and on bathing facility floors.
Fleisher Forensics will assist you to address the slipperiness of the bathing surfaces in your facility. We are experts in measuring the slip resistance of bathtubs and showers using the only ASTM standard for bathing facilities with use of a portable slip-resistance tester. [ more on bathtub & shower safety ]
Experts
Building components can fail or deteriorate due to many factors ranging environmental issues such as weather exposure and flooding to man-made factors such as inadequate construction techniques and materials to deferred maintenance. Fleisher Forensics can evaluate the failure or distress and make appropriate determinations of cause and responsibility.
- Roof and wall water Infiltration
- Groundwater flooding
- Surface water flooding
- Defective construction materials
- Defective workmanship
- Deferred workmanship
- Structural Failures
- Roof and Floor collapses
- Construction excavation and shoring
- Sink holes and ground subsidence
- Wind and Storm damages
- Exterior Insulated Finish systems (EIFS), stucco and masonry
Experts
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Richard H. Toland, Ph.D., P.E.
Codes, Standards and Regulations vary by adoption across political jurisdictions and also through time by the publication of evolving editions of the Codes. Fleisher Forensics’ extensive library of historical Codes, Standards and references allows us to make evaluations of litigation matters using appropriate historical and current Codes.
- Building Code evaluation
- Practices and Standards used in various Industry Sectors
- Federal Regulations that govern the workplace such as OSHA
- Traffic and Highway Design Regulations
Experts
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Richard H. Toland, Ph.D., P.E.
Our experts regularly evaluate accidents involving falls through floor and roof openings, along floor and platform edges, from scaffolding and construction equipment, from electrocutions and from ladders. Other evaluations include workers hit by falling objects and materials during demolition, construction and completed stages. Examples of construction liability and claim evaluations include:
- Barricades
- Building Failures and Distress
- Cave-ins
- Code Enforcement
- Codes, Standards and Regulations
- Commercial Facilities
- Construction Safety and Accidents
- Demolition
- Retention/Demolition Basins
- Edges of Floors and Roofs
- EIFS (Exterior Insulated Finish System)
- Equipment Failures
- Failure Analysis
- Fences
- Fitness Facilities
- Floor Failures
- Floors
- Footings and Foundations
- Framing
- Garages
- Guarding
- Guiderails
- Handrails
- Healthcare Facilities
- Highways and Streets
- Holes
- Industrial Plants
- Insulation
- Ladders
- Leakage
- Lift Equipment Overturning
- Loading and Unloading of Materials
- Manufacturing Plants
- Mechanical Systems
- Metals, Plastics and Materials
- Municipal Facilities
- Office Buildings
- Openings in Floors and Roofs
- Parking Lots
- Pedestrian Incidents
- Power Plants
- Rain
- Residential Facilities
- Roofing
- Roofs
- Scaffolds
- Schools and Universities
- Shopping Centers
- Slip-Trip-Fall Evaluations
- Sports Flooring
- Stairways
- Storm Drainage, Flooding and Ice
- Structural Failures
- Stucco
- Traffic Controls and Safety
- Trenches
- Utility Construction
- Walkway Surfaces
- Water Damage
- Water Filtration
- Wind
- Work Zones
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Richard H. Toland, Ph.D., P.E.
- Aircraft Components
- Automotive Systems
- Building Failures and Distress
- Building Products and Systems
- Cars
- Chairs
- Codes, Standards, Practices and Regulations
- Construction Equipment
- Consumer Goods and Appliances
- Doors
- Failure Analysis
- Flooring Claims
- Food Processing Equipment
- Garage Doors
- Heavy and Industrial Equipment
- Machine Guarding
- Machinery
- Materials
- Medical Equipment and Devices
- Metals, Plastics and Materials
- Overhead Doors
- Printing Presses
- Prosthesis
- Recreational Products
- Scaffolds
- Structural Failures
- Traffic Control Devices
- Trucks
- Walkway Surfaces
Experts
Flooring is something we take for granted, until there is a failure. Flooring failures can be complicated to resolve as there are several factors that need to be carefully evaluated both individually and as part of the overall flooring system. The ability to fully understand the interactions based upon the physical environment becomes the crucial task for a successful resolution.
- Choice of Flooring Type
- Application to Environment
- Performance Under Use Conditions
- Installation Methods
- Materials Utilized
- Expertise of Installation Crew
- Conformance to Specifications
– ASTM, ANSI, Industry - Conformance to Standards
– ASTM, ANSI, Industry - Expectation Versus Usage
- Conditions of Site
– During Installation
– During Usage - Subfloor Construction
- Physical Environment
- Catastrophic Occurrences
Experts
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
Michael Sapienza
Highways accidents and claims may involve new construction, reconstruction, maintenance or existing conditions. Highway accidents involve pedestrians, drivers and construction workers. Each highway may pose different geometry, operating, traffic controls, pavement markings or work zone conditions. The practical experience of our highway and traffic experts provides you a sound understanding of the applicability of codes, standards and industry practices.
- Construction Claims and Safety
- Department of Transportation standards and requirements
- OSHA regulations
- Work Zone Traffic Control
- Commercial Vehicle and heavy equipment operations
- Construction means and methods
- Construction task sequencing
- Supplements and change orders
- Bidding documents, plans and specifications
- Utility accommodation and control
- Vehicle, pedestrian and construction personnel accidents
- Construction vehicle access
- Driveways and haul roads
- Intersections
- Signage, Traffic Controls and Markings
- Lighting
- Work hours
- Construction Management and Inspection
- Professional Liability
Experts
Highways require proper design and guidance for both motorist and pedestrians. Highway users have an expectation that the facilities are properly designed and demarcated to provide safe and efficient passage. An important part of the design and guidance is attention to the entire highway corridor, including those areas outside the edge of the paved surface.
- Highway Clear Zones
- Sight Distances
- Traffic Control, Signs, Markings and Signals
- Construction Claims and Safety
- Accidents (Vehicle, Pedestrian and Construction)
- Roadway Geometry
- Horizontal and Vertical Curvature
- Highway Profile, Grades and Cross Section
- Guiderails, Guardrails and Barriers
- Intersections and Driveways
- Trails
- Interstate Highways and Interchanges
- Crosswalks and other Pavement Markings
- Utility Poles and Traffic Signals
- Highway Lighting
- Work Zone Traffic Control
Experts
For most of us, our vehicles spend more time parked than moving. Parking lots are unique environments that have to balance mobility and safety of both pedestrians and vehicles. Parking lots exist to fulfill a need and service other establishments. Factors that contribute to the functionality and overall safety of parking lots include:
- Parking lot layout
- Parking lot geometry
- Parking space size
- Driving lane width
- Pedestrian amenities
- Parking lot grade
- Parking lot signage
- Parking lot pavement markings
- Parking facility size and orientation
- Parking lot access
- Intersection control
- Parking lot lighting
- Parking lot pavement design
- Parking lot maintenance
- Parking lot accessibility
- ADA Compliance
- Storm water management
- Snow and Ice control
- Parking garages and parking structures
- Islands and curbing
- Wheel stops and bollards
- Emergency vehicle access and fire zones
- Compliance with codes, standards and regulations.
- Traffic claiming
- Crosswalks
- Shopping Cart and non-motorized vehicle control
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
The appropriate evaluation of Pedestrian Incidents can require various disciplines depending on the circumstances. At Fleisher Forensics we have the team of Material Scientists, Engineers and Architects with the experience and expertise to evaluate different types of pedestrian incidents.
- Maintenance and Repair Issues
- Traffic Safety and Design
- Slip Resistance Testing and Evaluation
- Slips, Trips and Falls
- Code Compliance of walkway Surfaces
- Snow and Ice Treatment and Removal Procedures
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
- ADA
- Balconies
- Bars
- Bathroom Safety
- Bathtub slip resistance ranking
- Building Failures and Distress
- Casinos
- Code Enforcement
- Codes, Standards and Regulations
- Commercial
- Doors
- Flooring Claims and Analysis
- Garage Doors
- Guardrails
- Handrails
- Highways and Streets
- Hospitals
- Industrial
- Municipal Facilities
- Nursing Homes
- Overhead Doors
- Parking Lots and Garages
- Platforms
- Porches
- Ramps
- Residential
- Restaurants
- Retail
- Schools
- Sharp Edges
- Sidewalks
- Slip Resistance
- Slip-Trip-Fall Evaluations
- Sports Venues
- Stairs
- Storm Drainage, Flooding and Ice
- Structural Failures
- Supermarkets
- Transportation
- Universities
- Walkway Surfaces
- Walkways
- Work Zones
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
- Aircraft Components
- Automotive Systems
- Building Failures and Distress
- Building Products and Systems
- Cars
- Chairs
- Codes, Standards, Practices and Regulations
- Construction Equipment
- Consumer Goods and Appliances
- Doors
- Failure Analysis
- Flooring Claims
- Food Processing Equipment
- Garage Doors
- Heavy and Industrial Equipment
- Machine Guarding
- Machinery
- Materials
- Medical Equipment and Devices
- Metals, Plastics and Materials
- Overhead Doors
- Printing Presses
- Prosthesis
- Recreational Products
- Scaffolds
- Structural Failures
- Traffic Control Devices
- Trucks
- Walkway Surfaces
Experts
Brian E. Beatty, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
Richard H. Toland, Ph.D., P.E.
- ADA
- Agreements
- Architectural Claims
- Building Failures & Distress
- Building products & systems
- Change order claims
- Civil Engineering
- Code Enforcement
- Codes, Standards and Regulations
- Construction Claims
- Construction Management and Administration
- Construction Safety and Accidents
- Contract Disputes
- Defective Work Claims
- Delay Claims
- Design Claims
- Engineering Claims
- Errors or Omissions Claims
- Flooring Claims & Analysis
- Highways, Streets and Parking Lots
- Machine Guarding
- Mechanical Engineering
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
- Scope of Work
- Structural Engineering
- Structural Failures
- Termination Claims
- Traffic Controls and Devices
- Walkway Surfaces
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
Brian E. Beatty, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Experts
Sinkholes account for millions of dollars annually of damage to roads, buildings and other structures. In many cases, sinkhole activity, when undetected and/or untreated, leads to subsidence, undermining of foundations, sudden collapse of structures, or breaching of pipelines.
Causes
Sinkholes can form when natural water-drainage patterns are changed and new water-diversion systems are developed. This can be caused by:
- Concentration of surface water
- Changes in site grading
- Construction of stormwater runoff detention and retention ponds
- Groundwater pumping and mismanagement of stormwater runoff
- Stream re-alignment
Preliminary Site Evaluation
Review of published data of existing geologic conditions, including a thorough review of such data as:
- Topographic maps
- Geology maps
- Sinkhole maps
- Aerial photographs
- Previous geotechnical studies of the site or surrounding sites
Subsurface Exploration Program
Preliminary evaluation results are analyzed to determine whether additional exploration is warranted including:
- Test pits
- Test borings
- Smoke Testing
- Dye Testing
- Geophysical testing
Experts
Slip resistance evaluations may involve pedestrian movement, environmental conditions, walkway surface characteristics, footwear condition and different measuring devices. At Fleisher Forensics, we own several different types of slip resistance test equipment, known as “Tribometers”. Our experts are experienced with their operation, application and limitations, and their associated standards.
- ASTM reference surfaces
- C1028 Tribometer
- English XL Tribometer
- Mark I Tribometer
- Mark II Tribometer
- Mark IIIb Tribometer
- Walkway Surfaces
- Construction Surfaces
- Footwear Condition
- Gait Mechanics
- Standards
Experts
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Michael Sapienza
The ability to reasonably manage storm water in our built environment is fundamental to maintaining use of these constructed facilities and the safety of the users. Runoff, drainage and flooding can lead to ice formation on walkways and pavements, damage to facilities, loss of use and potential adverse impacts to the users. We evaluate the nature, cause or causes of runoff, drainage and flooding in litigation and claim matters.
- Standards, Codes and Regulations
- National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
- Flood Hazard Areas
- Coastal Zone Impacts
- Elevation Certification
- Building Design
- Flood Plains
- Floodways
- Flood Fringe areas
- Flood-proofing
- Community Impacts
- Flood Hazard evacuation routes
- Floodplain Management
- Levees, Dikes and Dams
- Inlets, Culverts and piping
- Flood Hazard Mitigation
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Our streets and parking facilities are complicated environments requiring proper design, proper guidance and proper driver control to ensure safe facilities. These facilities support both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Our team of experts understands the interrelationships among these requirements.
- Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
- Pedestrian and vehicle accessibility/ADA Compliance
- Automotive Systems
- Bicycle Facilities and Incidents
- Bridges
- Roadway Clear Zones and Roadside Structures
- Codes, Standards and Regulations
- Roadway Construction Claims
- Construction Safety in the roadway environment
- Crosswalks and pedestrian facilities
- Horizontal and vertical roadway curves
- Roadway profile, grading and cross-section
- Guiderails and Guardrails
- Intersection Safety
- Interstate Highways
- Traffic Islands, medians and gore areas
- Roadway Lighting
- Manholes and other utilities in the roadway
- Mid-Block Crosswalks
- Pavement Markings
- Pedestrian Incidents
- Premises Facility Liability
- Ramps and Interchanges
- Sidewalks
- Intersection and Driveway Sight Distance
- Traffic Signs
- Vehicle Speed
- Roadway and Parking Lot Storm Drainage, Flooding and Ice
- Street Lights
- Structural Failures
- Roadway Geometry and super-elevation of Road Surface
- Traffic Controls and Safety
- Traffic Signals
- Trucks and Commercial Vehicle Operations
- Utility Poles
- Work Zone Traffic Control
- Traffic Calming
- Roundabouts
- Roadway pavement design
- Pavement surface maintenance
- Pavement Repair means and methods
- Traffic Control Device maintenance
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Structural failures and collapses from demolition, deterioration, overload, soils or ground conditions, or weather events, commonly involve buildings, roofs, bridges, pavements, foundation systems, towers or walls.
- Parking lots
- Traffic control devices
- Buildings
- Houses
- Industrial Machinery
- Walls
- Roofs
- Floors
- Bulkheads
- Retaining Walls
- Bridges
- Roads
- Elevated Walkways/Boardwalks
- Signs and Billboards
- Platforms
- Parking garages and parking structures
- Compliance with codes, standards and regulations
Experts
The consistent application of uniform traffic control devices is one of the fundamental foundations of safety on our streets and highways. National and local standards guide the design, application and installation of out traffic control devices.
- Traffic Signs
– Regulatory Signs
– Warning Signs
– Guide Signs - Pavement Markings
- Traffic Signals
- Work Zone Traffic Control
- School Zone Traffic Control
- Railroad Crossing Traffic Control
- Traffic Control Device responsibility
- Traffic Control Device installation and maintenance
- Traffic Control Device regulation
Experts
The built environment contains many different types and materials of walkway surfaces, from exterior sidewalk and paving to interior carpeting, vinyl tiles and stone floors. Fleisher Forensics stands ready with a team of Material Scientists, Architects and Engineers to evaluate walkway surface materials, conditions, slip resistance and appropriateness of use for all types of walkways.
- Walkway Surface Failures
- Maintenance Issues
- Slip Resistance testing and evaluation
- Maintenance of Walkway Surfaces
- Appropriateness of material use on walkway Surfaces
- Evaluation of Cleaning Products used on Walkway Surfaces
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Snow, Ice, Rain, Fog, Wind…
As the seasons change, so does the environment that we live and work in. These changing conditions can present situations and claims that require expert evaluation.
At Fleisher Forensics, we are professional engineers and architects with the technical expertise and experience to assist in the evaluations of winter related claims and litigation matters.
The ability to design our built environment and have in place the proper processes to address the accumulation of winter precipitation and freezing temperatures are key to the safe use of our constructed facilities during the winter months.
- Roof Failures and Building collapses
- Slips and falls on ice or snow
- Snow removal practices and procedures
- Snow and ice removal and treatment programs and procedures
- Salting application rates and procedures
- Proper use of snow removal apparatus
- Timing of snow and ice removal
- De-icing chemicals
- Training for snow and ice removal personnel
- Freeze/Thaw failures and pavement heaving
- Highway accidents
- Drainage, Flooding and Ice Accumulations
- Professional Liability
Experts
Jared E. Barket, P.E.
David H. Fleisher, P.E.
Walter E. Green, AIA
David J. Littlewood, P.E.
Richard H. Toland, Ph.D., P.E.