Dr. Dobbs is an engineer experienced in failure analysis, including corrosion, fracture, and fatigue of metals, plastic, glass, wood and other materials; and analysis of product failures including automobile restraints, medical devices and machinery. He is also experienced in the areas of vehicular accident reconstruction, including automobile, trucks, trains and motorcycles; pedestrian accident reconstruction, including vehicular, slip, trip and fall; and industrial accident reconstruction, including forklifts, cranes and machinery.
Benedict Engineering Company, Inc. focuses on forensic engineering (accident reconstruction) and consulting engineering and is also involved in the research, development and design of products and systems. Our engineering team represents a variety of engineering disciplines; mechanical, biomechanical, biomedical, civil, safety, industrial, metallurgy and materials. This diversity enables us to reconstruct a variety of types of accidents; automobile, truck, aircraft, boat, train, bicycle, ATV, product, roadway design, electrocution, fire and explosion, slip/trip and fall, "black box" (EDR) and more. The BEC services include investigation and documentation of the scene, engineering analysis, and creating all types of graphics in-house to support the engineering analysis during testimony in deposition and trial.
Background
Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:A: Registration:
State of Florida Professional Engineer No. 53916
Private Pilot, SEL
Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, registration number 8794-3788
ACTAR, Registration Number 1480
Education:
University of Florida - Gainesville, FL
1997 - Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham - Birmingham, AL
1991 - M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham - Birmingham, AL
1985 - B.S. in Materials Engineering
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
A: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)
American Standards for Testing of Materials (ASTM)
- A4 Committee on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices
- E30 Committee on Forensic Sciences
- F13 Committee on Traction for Footwear
American Welding Society (AWS)
Florida Engineering Society (FES)
National Society for Professional Engineers (NSPE)
The Minerals, Metal and Materials Society (TMS)
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: How to Manage Engineering Intensive Cases", ADLA Summer Meeting, June 30, 2001, Destin, FL
"How to Manage Engineering Intensive Cases", AFTL Winter Ski Seminar, December 16, 2001, Snowmass, CO
"How to Manage Engineering Intensive Cases", ATLA CLESeminar, November 10, 2000, Mobile, AL
"Reconstruction of a Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Accident", ATLA 2000 Mid-Winter Conference, January 28, 2000,Birmingham, AL
"Reconstruction of a Rail - Highway Grade Crossing Accident", AFTL 1999 Winter CLE Ski Seminar, December 12, 1999,Vail, CO
"Analysis of Slip, Trip & Fall Accidents ", 3rd Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference, July 30, 1999, Orlando, FL
ìThe Accident Reconstruction Expert: Defense of the Auto Caseî,2nd Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference, July 17, 1998,Orlando, FL
ìEffect of Exposure and Coating on the Tensile and FatigueBehavior of Orthorhombic Titanium Aluminidesî, 126th TMSAnnual Meeting, February 10, 1997, Orlando, FL
ìEffect of Exposure on the Microstructure of Coated and UncoatedOrthorhomic Titanium Aluminidesî, ASM Materials Weed 1996,
October 9,1 996, Cincinnati, OH
ìAdvanced Airfoil Fabricationî, 8th Annual HITEMP Review,October 24, 1995, Cleveland, OH
ìProcessing of a Ti-22A1-23Nb Foil by Direct HIP Consolidationof Powderî, ICCM 10, August 13, 1995, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
ìEffects of the Addition of Hf and Ti on the Mechanical Propertiesof NiA1î, ASM Materials Week, October 11, 1991, Cincinnati,OH
ìPhase Relationships in NiA1 + X (X=Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta) Alloysî,ASM Materials Week, October 9, 1990, Detroit, MI
ìEnhanced High-Speed Differential Thermal Analysis for Welding Applicationî, AWS Annual Meeting, 1987, Chicago, IL
ìEffects of Heat Treatment on Weldability of Cast Alloy 718î, TMS-AIME Fall Meeting, 1986, Orlando, FL
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
A: No
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
A: Several Hundred
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: Accident reconstruction including automobiles, tractor-trailers, motorcycles, pedestrians and bicycles and also occupant kinematics. Product failure analysis of a wide variety of products including medical devices, winches, clevises, small appliances, axles and others. Automotive product analysis including seatbelts, airbags, seat backs, roof crush and others. Inductrial accidents involving forklifts and truck loading issues. Slip and fall and trip and fall cases involving slip index testing and building code violations.
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
A: Approximately 50%
Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
A: Approximately 50%
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
A: More than 200
Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
A: Last Thursday
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
A: More than 15
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: More than 15
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: Approximately 7
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: Consulting, scene inspection and documentation including accurate mapping using survey gear, evidence inspection and documentation, testing, evidence storage including vehicles.
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
A: 200
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
A: 200
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
A: 200
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
A: 200
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
A: Travel time is billed portal to portal, travel expenses are billed. Private aircraft may be used for travel. All copies are billed, evidence storage is billed, and usage of specialized equipment is billed.
References
PlaintiffMr. Martin A. Rosen
5600 Bee Ridge Rd, Ste B;
Sarasota, FL 34233
Phone #: 407-420-1414
Mr. William (Bill) Stone
Law Offices of Boone & Stone
107 College Street
Blakely, GA 31723
Phone #: 912-723-3045
Mr. Willie Gary
Mr. Lorenzo Williams
Gary, Williams, Parenti
320 S Indian River Drive.
Ft. Pierce, FL 34948
Phone #: 800-330-2832
Mr. Don Hinkle
Hinkle & Foran
1545 Raymond Diehl Road
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Phone #: 850-205-2055
Jeremy Alters
Ratzman & Alters
First Union Financial Ctr, Ste 2990
200 S Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33131
Phone #: 305-374-6366
Defense
Mr. Scott Dutton
Santos, Dutton, Lynott & Henry, PA
777 Harbour Island Blvd, Ste 950
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone #: 813-229-1111
Mr. Eric Hoecker
Law Offices of Figueroa Gonzalez & Hoecker
Comeau Bldg, Ste 609
319 Clematis Street
W Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone #: 561-659-4417
Mr. Wesley (Wes) Catri
Catri, Holton, Kessler & Kessler, PA
Litigation Bldg, 3rd Floor
633 S Andrews Ave
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
Phone #: 954-463-8593
Ms. Helen Alford
Carr, Alford, Clausen & McDonald, LLC
One St Louis Centre, Ste 5000
Mobile, AL 32202
Phone #: 251-432-1600
Mr. Jack Janecky
Janecky, Newell, Potts, et al
3300 AmSouth Bank Bldg
107 St Francis St
Mobile, AL 36602
Phone #: 251-432-8786
