Robert C. Ballard is a Certified Forensic Consultant and a court qualified expert for both defendants and plaintiffs. His forensic skills and testimony have resulted in significant insurance claims recovery settlements and jury awards for his clients (highest award $8.5 million). His efforts have also resulted in major manufacturer recalls in product liability cases (780,000 items in one recall), and have prevented recovery from improper or unjustified lawsuits or insurance claims. Mr. Ballard has also assisted policy holders in determining if a claim has been unjustly denied due to improper interpretation of exclusions or limitations, or due to inadequate opinions from opposing experts.
Mr. Ballard has investigated water and mold damage claims and their relationship to the building envelope and to HVAC system installation and operation.
Mr. Ballard has investigated the cause of electrical equipment failures due to lightning, surge voltages, open neutrals and improper grounding or bonding (including CSST corrugated stainless steel tubing).
Mr. Ballard is a Certified Forensic Consultant, Certified Fire and Explosions Investigator, Certified Building Inspector, Certified Residential Combination Inspector, Certified Homeland Security Level III, a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Engineering and Technology, and a Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners Institute.
Mr. Ballard has extensive experience in the design, manufacture, testing, repair and modification of electrical/mechanical devices and equipment. He has investigated tens of thousands of equipment failures and has provided expert testimony during arbitration, by deposition and by courtroom testimony.
Mr. Ballard is able to demonstrate what caused an incident to occur and can translate complex technical information into language that is readily understood by policy holders, insurance adjusters, attorneys, paralegals, arbitrators, mediators, judges and juries.
Mr. Ballard can assist in developing lists of questions for depositions and cross examinations of experts, and can assist in evaluating statements made by experts in their depositions.
CALL ME: 770-331-3411
FAX ME: 770-736-1456
EMAIL ME: Forensics@att.net
MAIL ME:
Main Office: Intelligent Forensics
2922 Hickory Drive
Snellville, GA 30078-3607
Satellite Office: Intelligent Forensics
2320 Oak Road, Suite E200
Snellville, GA 30078-2368
Background
Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:A: Licensed Private Detective Company (Intelligent Forensics)
Georgia License PDC002400
Licensed Private Detective Employee (Robert Clifford Ballard)
Georgia License PDE048439
American College of Forensic Examininers:
* Certified Forensic Consultant
* Certified Homeland Security Level III
* Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Engineering and Technology
* Fellow, American College of Forensic Examiners Institute
National Association of Fire Investigators:
* Certified Fire and Explosions Investigator
International Code Council:
* Certified Building Inspector
* Certified Residential Combination Inspector
BSEET: Thomas Edison State College, Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Science
ASAET: Community College of the Air Force, Aerospace Engineering Technology, Communications Electronics
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
A: International Association of Arson Investigators
Georgia Fire Investigators Association
Alabama Association of Arson Investigators
National Association of Fire Investigators
National Fire Protection Administration
International Code Council
American Society of Civil Engineers
American College of Forensic Examiners
American Concrete Institute
American Correctional Association
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: Participated in training seminars dealing with lightning damages to electrical/electronic devices.
Conducted training seminar for ATF and Columbus, Georgia fire department regarding sustained electrical arcing as the cause, and as the result of fires. Seminar included a live electrical arcing demonstration with fully configured 240 VAC service drop, pole mounted transformer, and 120/240 VAC circuit breaker panel box. A branch feeder with copper conductors protected by a 20 amp circuit breaker on a 240 VAC load inside a steel wiring tray was subjected to an external fire, resulting in sustained electrical arcing and melting of steel without tripping the 20 amp breaker.
Conducted numerous safety training seminars/classes regarding OSHA safety and electrical/mechanical equipment safety
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: Approximately 4000, with testimony by deposition or trial in approximately 50.
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: Electrical equipment failures, electrical wiring, code compliance, HVAC/Indoor Air/Mold, gas-fired appliance failures, building structural failures, flooding damage and cause of flooding, lightning damage to telephone equipment, lightning damage to electrical wiring,lightning damage to "smart" home systems, lightning damage due to improper or inadequate grounding and/or bonding.
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: 32
Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
A: September 18, 2009
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
A: 17
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: 23
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: 26
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: Code research, deposition questions work-up, failure duplication, site inspections of HVAC systems, mold cause analysis, site inspections for flooding and settlement issues, testing to component level for electronic and electrical/mechanical devices, forensic analysis of insurance claims, electrical testing of building/residential grounding systems, open neutral/floating ground identification/testing, lightning cause analysis
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
A: 135.00
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
A: 135.00
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
A: $720.00 per 4 hour block of time, plus round trip travel time at $85.00 per hour and round trip mileage at $0.75 per mile if deposition is held at the office of the opposing attorney. Opposing attorney must pay first 4 hours and travel/mileage expenses in advance of deposition. The total advance fee payment including travel time and mileage must be received 72 hours in advance of the scheduled deposition, or the deposition will have to be reschuduled. The entire fee is considered earned upon arrival at the deposition site. The round trip travel time and mileage is earned once departure has been made for the deposition location. Depositions lasting over 4 hours will incur an additional charge of $180.00 for each hour, or portion of an hour, to be paid by a separate check at the time the deposition ends. Opposing attorneys are required to bring and show the separate check before the deposition begins.
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
A: $720.00 per 4 hour block of time, plus round trip travel time at $85.00 per hour and round trip mileage at $0.75 per mile. The 4 hour block of time is earned once the oath has been administered. The round trip travel time and mileage is earned once departure has been made for the trial location. Testimony over 4 hours is billed at $180.00 per hour, or portion of an hour.
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
A: Travel at $.75 per mile round trip. Travel time is at $85.00 per hour round trip. Photographs that are not part of a report or client analysis are $4.00 for a photosheet containing 4 photographs per sheet, and include a Video CD and a thumbnail index sheet.
There is no charge for the photographs, VCD or index sheets that are included as part of a report or client analysis.
Non-client VCDs are $75.00 each and non-client copies are $0.75 per page.
Meals/Lodging based on IRS per diem.
References
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3000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 650
Birmingham, AL 35244
205-982-2750
William Brittain, II
Ball, Ball, Mathews & Novack
P.O. Box 2148
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Steve Brown
Catholic Mutual Group
680 Peachtree Street, NW
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Walker Law Office
6750 Poplar Avenue, Suite 412
Memphis, TN 38138
901) 756-3046
Fred Ferrand
Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers, LLP
1355 Peachtree Street, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-888-6182
Paul Fields, Jr.
Lord, Bissell & Brook
1170 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 1900
Atlanta, GA 30309
Karen D. Fultz
Cozen & O'Connor
Suntrust Plaza
303 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200
Atlanta, GA 30308-3264
404-572-2000
Catherine Henderson
St. Paul Travelers
4400 North Point Parkway, Suite 160
Alpharetta, GA 30022
770-521-3534
Robert L. Hessman
Sundberg & Hessman
107 West Fifth Ave
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-402-3000
FAX 850-402-3001
Paul Hoffman
Deming, Parker, Hoffman, Greene & Campbell
4851 Jimmy Carter Blvd
Norcross, GA 30093
Anthony Kalka
Drew, Eckl & Farnham
880 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309
David King
Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers, LLP
1355 Peachtree Street, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-888-6182
Jefferson C. McConnaughey
Cozen & O'Connor
Suntrust Plaza
303 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200
Atlanta, GA 30308-3264
404-572-2000
Mike McKenzie
Cozen & O'Connor
Suntrust Plaza
303 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200
Atlanta, GA 30308-3264
404-572-2000
Derek Mendicino
Penna & Mendicino, P.C.
1902 Old Covington Highway
Conyers, GA 30012-3920
770-602-4312
FAX 770-602-4313
E. Alan Miller
3379 Peachtree Road, N.E., Suite 400
Atlanta, GA 30326
404-909-8117
FAX 404-909-8120
Christopher E. Penna
Penna & Mendicino, P.C.
1902 Old Covington Highway
Conyers, GA 30012-3920
770-602-4312
FAX 770-602-4313
Isaac Roitman
Austill, Lewis & Simms
2101 Highland Ave., South
Suite 500
Birmingham, AL 35205
205-870-3767
FAX 205-870-3768
Charles G. Walker
Walker Law Office
6750 Poplar Avenue, Suite 412
Memphis, TN 38138
901-756-3046
