M adden A ccident A nalysis, I nvestigation,  R econstruction

Forensic  E ngineering & Scientific Accident Reconstruction over 30 Years Investigating, Analyzing, Reconstructing & Testifying about Accidents Contact us at  ?  440-838-0640 or  ?  440-832-9540 or  ?  [email protected]

, including

?  Chemical Exposure    ?  Chemical Explosions     ?  Materials Failure ?  Household, Industrial and Commercial Chemicals and Materials ?  Concrete   ?  Fasteners   ?  proper use of Materials of Construction ?  Labeling, Delivery, Containment and Use of Chemicals and Gases

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E xperience and Qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E. in regard to Chemicals,     Gases and Materials, including Chemical Explosions and Material Failures 

? incidents involving chemicals, gases and materials work  during over the last 30 years, including chemical explosions, concrete burns, and material failures See more about our work with  accidents involving chemicals, gases and materials  in the section below. ? took  4 college courses  in physics and  8 college courses  in chemistry, including Physical Chemistry, which covers the physics and physical aspects of chemicals and chemical reactions, including chemical explosions ? during 17 years  working in industrial operations and design engineering designed for the safe use and production of chemicals , gases and materials, and  worked in industrial operations involving chemicals , gases and materials ? during 17 years  working in industrial operations and design engineering  routinely  specified materials of construction  for equipment, components and facilities ? earned  2 Engineering degrees , Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering, and took additional post-degree coursework, with coursework in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering mechanics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and normal psychology ? earned the  Professional Engineers license  (P.E.) by taking the National Council of Engineering Examiners' (NCEE) examination in Fundamentals of Engineering and the  Mechanical Engineering  and  Chemical Engineering  sections of the NCEE examination in Principles and Practices of Engineering ? designated a  Diplomate Forensic Engineer  by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers in accordance with the standards of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) ? at the start of forensic work, completed  refresher and additional post-degree college credit coursework  and continuing education coursework in mechanical engineering, metallurgy and materials ?  attended  engineering seminars  presented by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers ? regularly attend additional  technical courses and seminars  each year to meet the requirements for continuing engineering education for the Professional Engineer's license ?  over  45 years of engineering experience , with:  ?  17 years experience in  industrial operations, engineering design  and  construction assistance  ?  over 30 years experience in  forensic engineering , including:   ?  testifying in  over 100 depositions  and  over 90 trials ?  issuing  over 700 reports  and  over 70 affidavits ?  working on  over 1100 cases See more about qualifications of  James D. Madden, P.E. on the  Qualifications Page . See details of the forensic work throughout this website, and a summary on the  Employment Page . See details of the pre-forensic work on the  Employment Page  and the  Engineering Design Page .

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O ur  Engineering Analysis of Accidents involving Chemicals, Gases and Materials

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Our Engineering Analysis of accidents involving Chemicals, Gases and Materials includes  investigation, engineering analysis  and  reconstruction  of the accident, as appropriate and  required  to address the issues . 

Work involving  chemical exposure , with or without  chemical explosion , generally covers:

• determining whether containment systems or packaging for chemicals and gases were: 

• defective in design, manufacture or installation 

• lacked adequate warnings

• determining whether the manner that chemicals or gases were used was hazardous

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• determining whether the hazardous use of the chemicals was due to: 

• the instructions for use

• deviation from the instructions for use

• as a result of a lack of instructions for safe use 

• determining the chemicals involved in the explosion, when there is an explosion 

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• determining if other chemicals were inadvertently involved

Work involving  materials failure , particularly securement failure, such as fasteners failing to secure items, generally covers:

• determining whether materials which failed, whether failing mechanically or failing to secure attachment,

      were: 

• defective in design, manufacture or installation

• were the proper materials for the use

• lacked adequate warnings for their proper use to avoid creating a hazardous condition

• determining whether the manner in which the materials were used created a hazardous condition

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• determining whether the failure of the materials which failed was due to: 

• the instructions for use

• deviation from the instructions for use

• as a result of a lack of instructions for safe use 

Reconstruction  of accidents involving chemicals, gases and hazardous materials determines whether such chemicals, gases and materials caused or contributed to an accident. Reconstruction of accidents involving failure of materials of construction determines whether the materials failed due to unsuitability in use under intended conditions or their use was outside of intended conditions of use, according to instructions, specifications, codes or standards. Work in this area also generally includes determining whether revision of packaging, containment, method of use and/or warnings and the instructions for use was required for safety. 

<< click for a description of the typical activities and work performed << click for examples of Chemicals and Materials analyzed << click for discussion of Warnings for Chemicals and Hazardous Materials

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E xamples of Chemicals and Materials Analyzed, and Packaging, Containments and Materials of    Construction Analyzed                ? see discussion of Warnings for chemicals in next section below

• household cleaning chemicals in plastic bottles

• industrial and commercial cleaning chemicals in barrels

• industrial and commercial cleaning chemicals used in cleaning equipment at the time of accident

• uncured concrete (cement, aggregate and water) delivered pre-mixed by truck

• dry cement, and dry concrete (cement and aggregate) in packaging for mixing with water

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• fasteners and associated fastened materials (at each end of the fastener) used in various ways with various equipment and components, including industrial, commercial, and residential equipment and components

See the section below for discussion of  Warnings for Chemicals and similar Hazardous Materials

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W arnings for Chemicals and Similar Hazardous Materials

The use of Warnings with chemicals is regulated by legislation and codes and standards with requirements for providing significant safety information in prescribed forms. These requirements take into consideration the very restricted role that Safeguards can take in use of chemicals, thus putting the safety burden on Warnings, particularly for the public and professionals outside industrial commerce. This important safety role for Warnings is also true for similar hazardous materials which are hazardous at least partially because they contain chemicals. Other hazardous material which are primarily chemicals or in which chemicals are an important factor include such materials as concrete, (dry) cement and some wall board formulations.  Often the most important protection available is personal protective equipment. This is a form of safeguard. However, Warnings are required to inform the user as to when such protection is required and what specific protection is required. Warnings also must perform well in the areas of informing the user of the consequences of contact and chemical interactions, on how to avoid contact and chemical interactions, and what to do if they come into contact with chemicals. Only very rarely is a chemical pure when sold in commerce. Essentially all chemical products are mixtures of chemicals, both chemicals desired to be in the mixture and chemicals which are too difficult or expensive to remove from the mixture. This is true of chemicals sold to the public and chemicals sold to professionals and industry. A particular concern with chemicals is that the exact hazard is usually cloaked in mystery until the exact composition of the chemical is known. From a practical standpoint this information can only come from the supplier of the chemical in the form of a Warning.  This makes chemicals with incomplete Warnings or Warnings which are erroneous to one degree or another, a particular hazard, particularly with chemicals sold outside industrial commerce. Chemicals sold outside industrial commerce can be very dangerous. These chemicals are sold to the general public for personal use and for use in their homes and gardens, to professionals who use them in their work activities, such as in cleaning, maintenance and construction, to farmers and to others for various uses. Chemicals sold to the general public, farmers, professionals and others outside industrial commerce include cleaning products, maintenance products (for example, pool chemicals), pesticides, herbicides, building materials, personal care products, etc. Many of these chemicals are dangerous, either when in contact with body parts and/or from violent interactions with other chemicals sold outside industrial commerce, as well as chemicals sold within industrial commerce. Warnings are extremely important for the safe use of chemicals and materials that contain chemicals.

For more information on Safeguards and Warnings click on  Safeguards Page  and  Warnings Page . See the section above for examples of  Chemicals and Hazardous Materials analyzed

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O ur Typical Work Activities and Products, when warranted by the case Our work investigating, analyzing and reconstructing accidents, and presenting the results, may include any  or all of the following, depending on the needs of the case:  ? inspection of the accident site , such as a roadway, outdoor facilities, building or industrial facilities ? inspection of the involved equipment , in current condition, including in damaged condition (such as crashed vehicles); and when available for operation, during operation (such as industrial equipment) ? photography  and/or  video  of the accident site and involved equipment ? interviewing witnesses  (often during the inspection of the accident site, product and/or equipment) ? review and study  of case documents, evidence and applicable codes, standards, regulations and recommended practices ? testing  accident items and exemplar items (such as consumer products) ? drawings, calculations, graphical analyses, computer analyses , etc. as required to analyze and reconstruct the accident, and to present the engineering analysis and reconstruction ?  written  reports  and  affidavits , and  exhibits ? coordinating or interfacing with others while they are preparing  specialized exhibits  such as video animations and videos of demonstrations ? testimony in deposition ,  trial  and  arbitration

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resentation of results of our work We present the results of our investigations, engineering analyses and reconstructions in  the client's choice of any, or all, of the following:  ? verbal reports,  by telephone or in face-to-face conferences ?  written  reports  and  affidavits ? deposition testimony,  including video deposition ? trial testimony  and arbitration testimony

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F orensic Engineering Work by Senior Forensic Engineer James D. Madden, P.E.  James D. Madden, P.E., while performing  Forensic Engineering  work full-time for over  the last  30 years , for both plaintiff and defendant, has to date: ?  completed  over 1100 cases ?  written and issued  over 700 reports           ?  written and issued  over 70 affidavits ?  testified in  over 90 trials                  ?  testified in  over 100 depositions For more on qualifications see the  Qualifications Page .  <<< Click on the underlined text

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The qualifications of James D. Madden, P.E., Senior Forensic Engineer,  Consulting and Testifying Forensic Engineer  and  Accident Reconstruction Engineer , are listed on the  Qualifications Page  and the  Specialties Work Page .    <<< Click on the underlined text.

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C ontact information

For mailing  address ,  phone ,  fax  and  email  address click a button below the Fee Schedule section.

F ee Schedule

Contact us by phone, fax, mail or email for a copy of the Fee Schedule for charges for engineering and consulting services and testimony.  Click a button below for contact information.

G eographic Area of Practice - North America 

Over the last 30 years we have regularly worked on accidents which occurred in  Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York and nearby , including inspections of accident sites, equipment, and facilities, with reports and testimony. During these 30 years we have also worked on accidents which occurred in  other states , and equipment and facilities located in other states, with inspections of accident sites, equipment, and facilities,  from Utah and Kansas to Vermont and North Carolina,  with reports and testimony for these accidents, when applicable.

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Madden Accident Analysis,   Investigation, Reconstruction

Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction 1700 West Market Street, Suite 318, Akron, Ohio 44313 or contact us for our Cleveland Ohio address phone: 440-838-0640 or 440-832-9540, fax: 440-838-1192 email address: [email protected]

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Copyright 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 by Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction, and by James D. Madden, P.E. All rights reserved. This website contains photographs which are licensed with restrictions that prohibit downloading, reproduction, re-publication or re-transmission. Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction, through its Senior Forensic Engineer, James D. Madden, P.E., a licensed Professional Engineer, and Board Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer, has performed Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses and Accident Reconstructions routinely for accidents / incidents and cases located in  Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York , in the technical areas which are noted in this website, as well as providing expert reports and testifying in court proceedings in these states in the capacity of an  Expert Witness , including depositions, arbitrations and/or trials.  Forensic Engineering work has also performed in, and/or for cases in, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Vermont, Kansas  and Utah, with testimony in deposition and court in West Virginia and Kansas. Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction,  through its Senior Forensic Engineer, James D. Madden, P.E., a licensed Professional Engineer, and Board Certified Diplomate Forensic Engineer,  has performed Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses and Accident Reconstructions for accidents / incidents and cases in the metropolitan areas of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown, Mansfield, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Lima, Findlay, Marietta and Steubenville, Ohio, as well elsewhere throughout Ohio, and the metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania, as well as elsewhere throughout western and central Pennsylvania, and the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint and Port Huron, Michigan, as well as elsewhere in southern Michigan, and the metropolitan areas of Buffalo and Syracuse, New York, as well as elsewhere in western and central New York state. In many of these areas James D. Madden, P.E. has provided expert reports and testified in the capacity of an  Expert Witness  in court proceedings, including depositions, arbitrations and/or trials .   Latest updates to the overall document and activity counts (reports, affidavits, cases, trials, and depositions), and counts of the number of individual specialty cases reported in this website were completed 7/15/2020. The updates of the overall document and activity counts and the counts of the number of individual specialty cases for the period between 12/2007 and 7/15/2020 were based only on the documents produced, and thus are under-counts (i.e. cases without a report or affidavit were not included in the counts). Madden Accident Analysis, Investigation, Reconstruction,  through its Senior Forensic Engineer James D. Madden, P.E., is available for Accident Investigations, Engineering Analyses, Accident Reconstructions, and testimony in depositions, hearings, arbitrations, and trials, for  cases  located throughout North America.