Edward C Guerra
Edward C. Guerra
Crane Operations & Heavy Equipment Expert Witness
Principal Consultant | Crane Risk Authority
35+ Years of Experience | Active Crane Operations Professional | Plaintiff & Defense | Nationwide
Real-World Operations. Defensible Opinions. Litigation Support.
When a crane, lifting, hoisting, or forklift incident becomes the subject of litigation, attorneys need answers:
What happened? How did it happen? How should the operation have been performed?
Edward C. Guerra assists counsel in answering these questions through more than 35 years of firsthand crane and heavy-equipment operations experience.
His expertise encompasses crane operations, lift planning, load handling, rigging, crew coordination, equipment operation, and the responsibilities of personnel involved in lifting activities.
Still in the Field. Every Day.
Mr. Guerra doesn’t just examine crane operations. He continues to perform them.
While counsel reviews his qualifications, he may be operating a modern crane, coordinating heavy-lift logistics, directing crews, or overseeing a complex hoisting operation somewhere in the country.
He works alongside operators, riggers, signalpersons, and lift directors.
He understands how crews work because he continues to work among them.
His operational knowledge is current, practical, and reinforced through daily field involvement—not limited to experience gained decades ago.
An Early Resource for Litigation Counsel
Mr. Guerra helps attorneys understand the entire operation before determining what additional technical expertise may be necessary.
He assists counsel with:
* Early Case Evaluation: Identifying operational issues and potential departures from accepted practices.
* Accident Investigation: Examining what happened, how it happened, and contributing operational factors.
* Standards of Care: Evaluating applicable OSHA regulations, ASME/ANSI standards, manufacturer requirements, and industry practices.
* Expert Team Coordination: Identifying when engineers, metallurgists, or other specialists may be needed.
* Litigation Support: Reviewing evidence, conducting inspections, preparing reports, and providing deposition and trial testimony.
Defined Expertise. Defensible Opinions.
Mr. Guerra recognizes the boundaries of his professional expertise.
He is a crane operations expert—not a metallurgist or equipment design engineer.
He stays within his qualifications, collaborates with other specialists when necessary, and develops independent opinions supported by evidence, applicable standards, and firsthand operational experience.
His analysis is prepared to withstand technical scrutiny, deposition questioning, and cross-examination.
Bringing the Jobsite Into the Courtroom
Mr. Guerra helps attorneys, judges, and juries understand how crane and lifting operations actually work.
He explains the equipment, personnel, procedures, responsibilities, and operational decisions in clear, understandable terms.
His perspective comes from the operator’s seat, the lift planning process, and the jobsite—not solely from behind a desk.
His objective is straightforward: provide counsel with accurate operational analysis, clear explanations, and defensible opinions.
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Crane Risk Authority
Courtroom-Ready Analysis. Defensible Opinions.
Available nationwide for plaintiff and defense counsel.
- Construction
- Construction Damages
- Construction Insurance
- Construction Lending
- Construction Safety
- Construction Site
- Cranes
- Demolition
- Equipment & Machinery
- Forklifts
- Transportation Construction
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: Edward C. Guerra holds multiple professional certifications, qualifications, and state licenses supporting more than 35 years of crane and heavy-equipment operations experience.
His credentials include NCCCO Certified Crane Operator, Certified Lift Director, Qualified Rigger Levels I & II, Qualified Signalperson, and crane operator licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.
Additional professional development includes mobile crane inspection, OSHA training, TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis, and SEAK expert witness training.
Mr. Guerra remains actively involved in modern crane operations, lift planning, and crew direction.
A comprehensive curriculum vitae detailing his qualifications, licenses, training, and professional experience is available for review. - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Edward C. Guerra maintains professional affiliations with organizations supporting crane operations, lifting and rigging practices, industry standards, and professional development.
Affiliations include the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).
His continued industry involvement complements more than 35 years of firsthand operational experience.
A complete listing of professional affiliations and qualifications is available in his CV. - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Mr. Guerra has more than 35 years of experience providing hands-on instruction, operational guidance, and technical briefings to crane operators, riggers, signalpersons, and lifting crews.
His experience includes pre-lift meetings, jobsite safety briefings, equipment familiarization, lift planning, rigging, signaling, load handling, and crew coordination.
He continues to direct crews, coordinate complex lifting operations, and provide practical field instruction using modern cranes and equipment.
This extensive experience communicating technical information to operating personnel also supports his ability to explain complex crane and hoisting operations clearly to attorneys, judges, and juries. - 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: 7
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Crane and heavy-equipment operations; mobile and crawler crane operations; crane setup, assembly and disassembly; lift planning and execution; rigging and signaling; forklift and material-handling operations; jobsite safety; OSHA compliance; accident investigation; and operational standards of care.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 29% (2 of 7 cases)
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: * Plaintiff: 4 of 6 = 67%
* Defendant: 2 of 6 = 33%
* Depositions taken: 2 - Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 2
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: March 2024
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 2
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Mr. Guerra provides litigation consulting and expert witness services to plaintiff and defense counsel nationwide.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: * Consult with attorney: $300/hour
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: * Review documents: $300/hour
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: * Deposition testimony: $400/hour
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: * Trial testimony: $400/hour
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Site and equipment inspections: $300 per hour. Travel time: $300 per hour. Airfare, lodging, rental vehicles, mileage, parking, tolls, and other reasonable travel expenses are billed at actual cost or the applicable mileage rate. A $5,000 advance retainer is required and applied against professional fees and expenses. Special testing, photography, demonstrative exhibits, and outside services are billed as incurred with prior approval.
Professional attorney references are available upon request, subject to client approval and confidentiality considerations.