Trucking Expert Witness
Expert Witness:
Truck Accident & Incident Experts, LLC’s highly-qualified and well-rounded trucking expert opinions are supported by more than 30 years of experience in the highly-specialized field of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes. This includes 17 years of their leader working as a CEO of a nationwide CMV crash recovery team and major disaster response and recovery, with or without hazardous material involvement. Further, Scott L. Turner’s extensive field experience is supported by the highest levels of truck and motorcoach crashes.
Scott L. Turner and his team of highly specialized colleagues are experienced in writing well-written reports for trucking related matters in litigation and resulting expert opinions and qualifications being successfully qualified in state/county and federal courts throughout the Continental United States, Hawaii and Canada (Provinces).
The far majority to the approximate rate of 65% to 75% (year-over-year) of Truck Accident & Incident Experts, LLC work volume derives from repeat and/or referral from existing client base. Hereunder are several testimonials of clients of Truck Accident & Incident Experts. In addition, both Plaintiff and Defense cases once called into our practice, an approximate of 95% of all cases are agreed as to retention in terms of cases that we agree to take on:
Testimonial:
“We retained Truck Accident & Incident Experts, LLC, dbaas a trucking expert witness in a recent case. In a short period of time, he reviewed voluminous material and prepared an extensive and persuasive report. His attention to detail and overall knowledge of the trucking industry is excellent. We would highly recommend him and should the need arise, we would not hesitate to use him in the future.””
S. Morris Hadden, Esq. and Teresa Mahan Lesnak, Esq.
Hunter, Smith & Davis, LLP
Kingsport, Tennessee
In addition to Turner’s 30-plus years of experience responding to and/or investigating CMV crashes, Turner spent several years behind the wheel as an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer driver. As a result in-part due to that experience, he has become a trucking expert witness and authority on investigating accident contributing factors and aftermath. In this capacity, he operated low-boys (flat beds), dry-van trailers and tankers. During Turner’s experience as a CMV operator, he became extensively experienced with both driving and loading as well as off-loading van trailers, low-boys and cargo tanks with an approximate mileage of plus 250,000.
During the 30-plus years of professional experience as a trucking expert that is detailed above, Turner was an instructor for 11 years for the New Jersey State Police. In this specific discipline, Turner was a CMV crash and incident specialist instructor for cargo-tank truck responses and as a HazMat instructor with a focus on tractor-trailer crashes.
In the discipline as a Specialist Instructor with the New Jersey State Police, Turner trained organizations such as, but not limited to: New York City PD Emergency Services Unit, New York City Fire Department, New York/New Jersey Port of Authority, Philadelphia Fire Department, CRHMRO (California) and New Jersey State Police in addition to many others.
Turner’s career as a trucking expert witness includes response and/or investigation to well over 1,000 tractor trailer/CMV crashes, 200 cargo-tank truck crashes and/or incidents and a multitude of industrial setting incidents, railroad, maritime and airline disasters; however, his passion and focus was near always on trucking related accident and incidents. When Turner was interviewing his colleagues over the years, he had to be assured they shared the same passion for the CMV universe wherein they all needed to have minimally FMCSA-MCSAP Level 1 training in CMV enforcement. To the current date, each and every one of Turner’s colleagues that were on-boarded to Truck Accident & Incident Experts over the years remain at Turner’s side.
Turner and his team continually garner such thoughts and opinions by retaining Plaintiff and Defense attorneys such as the following:
Testimonial:
“Scott: I just wanted to take a moment to memorialize how appreciative of you and your efforts I am. You have the requisite intellect and knowledge in your field. You also have an extraordinary work ethic. You are patient in teaching counsel your findings, as well. These traits operate in combination to make you one hell of an expert. Thank you”.
David W. Brill, Esq.
Brill, Rinaldi & Garcia
Weston, Florida
Turner and his team’s in-depth understanding of the FMCSA regulations, industry standards of care, detailed and comprehensive report-writing and equally powerfully-delivered testimony has the ability to “teach” a jury. This can be a focal point of any civil or criminal litigation or arbitration, where CMV crashes and/or loading/offloading incidents — with or without hazardous material involvement and/or transit incidents — are at issue.
Truck Accident & Incident Experts, LLC, expert witness services are, but not limited to:
- Plaintiff/Defense Retention
- Litigation support
- Trial preparation consulting
- Deposition and courtroom testimony
- Pre-deposition support
- CMV crash investigation, analysis and re-creation
- CMV post-crash FMCSA truck and motorcoach inspections
- Cargo-tank truck crashes, spills and explosions
- Cargo-tank loading/offloading incidents (Loading Rack)
- Driver hours-of-service; fatigue driving
- Distracted driving
- Driver qualification files
- Professional CMV Driver Fitness
- Driver, negligent hire and/or negligent retention, if applicable
- Highway construction zone crashes
- CMV loading and off-loading investigation
- Industrial trucks/lift trucks
- FMCSA/PHMSA Driver and Management Training
- Motor Carrier Fitness
Turner was trained side-by-side with the New Jersey State Police roadside inspectors as a Level 1 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Truck and Motorcoach trained expert, and Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration-Hazardous Materials Regulations (PHMSA-HMR) trained expert. He specializes in applicable federal regulations and industry standards of care within that of the trucking industry, motorcoach industry and furthermore, cross-over OSHA regulations when and where applicable.
Testimonial:
Thank you again for your review, analysis, and reports relative to our recent litigation.
You prepared a most thorough report and analysis and took the time to analyze all relevant details of a most difficult liability case. I am sure your reports and anticipated testimony were key factors in persuading the court and the defendant to settle this case prior to trial.
I was most impressed by your enthusiasm about a highly contested case wherein defendant(s) created a most unsafe roadway condition, ultimately causing serious injury and harm to my client. Furthermore, you were always accessible, via phone, to discuss my questions and concerns.
I truly commend your efforts and look forward to working with you in the future.
Andrew M. Kusnirik, III, Esq.
Law Offices of Andrew M. Kusnirik, III
Hamilton, New Jersey
Turner and his team apply many relevant standards to cases that he is engaged, often referred to as “standard setters.” In addition to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), t the Standard Setters can include, but not limited to:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
- National Academy of Sciences; Transportation Research Board (NAS;TRB)
- American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)
- Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA)
- National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC)
- ATA; Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC)
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI)
- University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)
- Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)
- National Safety Council (NSC)
- Compressed Gas Association (CGA)
- Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- Smith-System Driver Improvement Institute
- JJ Keller
Turner has served on multiple Boards regarding trucking transportation related matters for National Academy of Sciences; Transportation Research Board (Washington, DC), as well as his trusted long-term colleagues have served in various capacities within enforcement and industry.
When Turner on behalf of Truck Accident & Incident Experts, LLC interviews an attorney for a potential retention on a truck related crash and/or incident, he provides clarity to the attorney as to the case viability irrespective of the matter being a Plaintiff or Defense matter. At the end of the interview that can be an easy 30 – 60 minutes of which costs nothing, the attorney typically heeds Turner suggestion as to either moving forward with retention, or simply abandoning or settling the matter due to non-viability.