Trucking Expert Witness & Litigation Support: Your CMV (Truck & Motorcoach) and HazMat Expert

Expert Witness:

Scott L. Turner‘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 as a working CEO of a nationwide CMV crash recovery team and major disaster response and recovery, with or without hazardous material involvement. Further, Turner’s extensive field experience is supported by the highest levels of truck and motorcoach crash training such as, but not limited to: Level 1 FMCSA Inspections; CMV Crash Inspections and Investigations; Cargo Tank Truck Specialist; Hazardous Materials Inspections (CMV); Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection; and, HazMat Specialist ( Visitors may review the CV section for further details.)

Testimonial:

“We retained Scott Turner Consulting as 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 20-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, he has become a trucking expert witness and authority on investigating accident contributing factors and aftermath. In this capacity, he was a driver of 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 nearly 25 years of professional experience as a trucking expert witness 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.

In these experiences, Turner has had the distinct privilege of responding to, managing and/or investigating numerous loading rack fires, loading rack explosions and loading rack injuries. During these various loading rack incidents, As a trucking expert and truck crash expert witness, Turner has personally been the lead response and/or investigative party to these particular events.

Loading rack fires were representative of hazardous materials and products such as gasoline, fuel oils and alcohols. Loading rack explosions were representative of hazardous materials such as gasoline and other flammables. Loading rack injuries were as a result of varying hazardous materials such as corrosives, ETMs, oxidizers and poisons.

As to legal representation as a trucking expert witness, Turner has been retained as an Expert Witness Consultant to varying type loading rack fires, loading rack explosions, and loading rack injuries throughout the United States.

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’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.

Some of Turner’s many trucking expert witness services include:

  • 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
  • Highway construction zone crashes
  • CMV loading and off-loading investigation
  • Industrial trucks/lift trucks
  • FMCSA/PHMSA Driver and Management Training

Turner was trained side-by-side with 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.

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 applies many relevant standards to cases that he is engaged, often referred to as “standard setters.” This can include:

  • 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