SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
Motor Vehicle Accident Reconstruction
- Human Factors
- Perception/Reaction Time
- Nighttime Visibility
- High Speed Impacts
- Pole and Barrier Impacts
- Pedestrian Collisions
- Roadway Design, Maintenance and Signage
- Winter Road Maintenance
Personal Injury Claims Analysis
- Human Factors
- Signage and Warnings
- Slips, Trips and Falls
- Coefficient of Friction Testing
- Staircase Falls
- Product Failure
- Playground Accidents
- Wheelchair Accidents
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 1998
Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, 1996
Additional Courses
- “Crash Data Retrieval System Technician Certification Course”, Toronto, March 2010
- "Winning with Experts: Issues, Trends and Tactics", The Advocates' Society, Toronto, December 2008
- “Designing & Signalizing Turn Lanes for Safety”, Institute of Transportation Engineers Webinar, Nov. 2008
- “Slip & Fall Prevention Research and Discussion”, Tile Council of America Webinar, July 2008
- “Practical Urban Maintenance”, C.S. Anderson Road School, University of Guelph, May 2008
- “Litigating Personal Injury Damages”, The Canadian Institute Conference, Toronto, February 2007
- “Addressing Slip Resistance & Safety of Walking/Working Surfaces”, American Society of Safety Engineers Webinar, June 2006
- “BMW Advanced Driver Training”, Toronto, September 2005
- “Collision Reconstruction – Technology & Application”, CATAIR Seminar, Burlington, August 2003
- “Estimating Driver Perception & Response Times”, CATAIR Seminar, Oshawa, December 2002
EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND
Giffin Koerth Inc.
Smart Forensics
Lead Forensic Investigator, Head of Personal Injury Unit
July 2002 – Present, Toronto, ON
- Consulted on 800+ cases involving Accident Reconstruction, Personal Injury, Product Failure
Algood Casters Ltd.
Mechanical Engineer
January 1999 – June 2002, Toronto, ON
Failure Analysis, Destructive Testing, Standards Development, Injection Molding
Centre for Studies in Aging
Researcher
September 1996 – October 1998, Toronto, ON
Collision Dynamics, Working Model® Computer Modeling, Human Factors, Slips and Falls
Hand & Upper Limb Clinic, St. Joseph’s
Student Researcher
September 1995 – April 1996, London, ON
Prototype Development, Biomechanics Studies
PUBLICATIONS / SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Speaking Engagements
- Mock trial expert witness at “Working with Experts: Practical Tips and Techniques for Winning Cases”, The Advocates Society, Toronto, May 2010
- “Human Factors in Pedestrian & Cyclist Collisions”, Aviva, Niagara Falls, October 2009
- Course co-instructor for “Practical Urban Maintenance”, C.S. Anderson Road School, University of Guelph, May 2009
- “Investigating Nighttime Tractor Trailer Collisions”, Kingsway Insurance, Mississauga, February 2009
- “Specialization in Forensics: Applying in-depth Knowledge to Every Case”, TTC, Toronto, January 2009
- “Accident Reconstruction, Human Factors & Personal Injury”, Aviva Canada, Toronto, June 2007
- “Utilizing Accident Reconstruction and Investigative Engineering Techniques to Litigate Personal Injury Claims”, The Canadian Institute, Toronto, February 2007
- “Claims Issues & Risk Management for Property Managers”, Ontario Bar Association, Toronto, January 2006
- “Slip & Fall Seminar”, Kingsway Insurance, Toronto, September 2002
- “Validation of Dynamic Models for Power Wheelchairs using Working Model®”, Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America, Minneapolis, June 1998
Court & ADR Appearances
- Qualified as an expert witness by the Superior Court of Ontario in collision reconstruction, slips, trips and falls, human factors, and signage
Papers
- “Visibility of Tractor Trailer Reflective Strips at Small Viewing Angles”, Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Conference, October 2009
- Paper reviewer for 53rd Annual Human Factors and Ergonomics Society conference for 2009
- “Determination of Snowmobile Deceleration Rates for Ejected Occupant Scenarios”, Proceedings of the 19th Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference, June 2009
- “What is a ‘Human Factors’ Expert Anyway?”, Claims Canada, April/May 2009
- “Road Design Issues in Motor Vehicle Collisions”, Without Prejudice, December 2008
- “Transportation Engineering Meets CSI: Forensic Engineering of Collisions”, Transportation Talk, Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineering, 30:3, Fall 2008
- Contributed to development of ASTM WK-11411 draft: “Standard Method for Obtaining Measurements with Variable-Angle Tribometers”
- Contributed to development of ASTM WK-6587 draft: “Standard Practice for Validation and Calibration of Walkway or Shoe Surface Tribometers using Reference Surfaces”
- Contributed to development of ANSI Rigid and Swivel Caster Standards
- Contributed to development of ANSI Wheelchair Standards
- “Validation of dynamic models for power wheelchairs”, 1998 Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America Conference Proceedings, 1998
- “Design and development of a portable elbow torque meter for clinical use”, Undergraduate Thesis, University of Western Ontario, 1996
Unpublished Research Studies
- Anthropometric modeling of the human body, Centre for Studies in Aging, 1997
- Variations in the characteristics of tires due to tire pressure, Centre for Studies in Aging, 1997
- Survey of wheelchair accidents, Centre for Studies in Aging, 1996
- Calibration of a LIDO physiotherapy workstation, St. Joseph’s Health Science Centre, 1996
- Design of a delivery system for a touch perception device, University of Western Ontario, 1996
