Vident Partners provides vetted failure analysis expert witnesses for cases involving product failures, material fatigue, weld fractures, manufacturing defects, and component breakage causing personal injury or property damage in product liability and industrial accident litigation. Request a referral today.
Find a Failure Analysis Expert →Overview
Failure analysis experts investigate why mechanical components, structures, and products failed, using materials science, metallurgy, and engineering principles to determine the root cause of failure. These experts are indispensable in product liability litigation, where the central question is whether a product was defectively designed, manufactured, or maintained, and whether that defect caused the plaintiff's injuries. The failure analysis process typically involves visual examination, fractography (analysis of fracture surfaces), metallographic examination, chemical composition analysis, mechanical testing, and non-destructive testing (NDT) methods including radiography, ultrasonic testing, and magnetic particle inspection. Experts must be able to distinguish between failure modes such as fatigue, overload, corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, and creep, each of which has different implications for causation and liability. These experts are particularly critical in cases involving automotive component failures (axles, steering, suspension), industrial equipment breakdowns, pressure vessel explosions, crane and lifting equipment failures, medical device malfunctions (hip implants, spinal hardware, surgical instruments), and structural steel connections in building and bridge collapses. Failure analysis testimony must satisfy Daubert requirements for scientific reliability, and experts are expected to follow established methodologies such as those published by ASM International (the materials science professional society), ASTM International standards, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation protocols.
Case Types
Product liability involving component fracture or material defect
Automotive part failure causing vehicle accidents
Industrial equipment failure and workplace injury
Medical device malfunction and implant failure
Pressure vessel and boiler explosions
Qualifications
Related Specialties
FAQ
A failure analysis expert should hold an advanced degree in materials science, metallurgical engineering, or mechanical engineering, have extensive laboratory experience with metallographic and fractographic analysis techniques, and be familiar with ASTM testing standards. Professional Engineer licensure and prior Daubert-qualified testimony experience are strongly preferred.
Failure analysis experts are needed in product liability cases involving fractured or failed components, automotive defect cases, industrial accident investigations, medical device failure cases, structural collapse investigations, and any litigation where the root cause of a mechanical or material failure must be determined.
Failure analysis expert fees typically range from $300 to $600 per hour for case review and analysis. Laboratory testing and metallographic examination may add $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the number of samples and tests required. Total engagement costs for complex product failure cases often range from $15,000 to $50,000.
Related Insights
We recently posted a general overview of failure to warn cases, https://www.videntpartners.com/blog/2024/product-liability-%E2%80%93-failure-warn. That post concluded as follows: “These cases often...
Research BriefingA failure to warn case is a type of product liability lawsuit in which the plaintiff claims that a manufacturer, distributor, or seller failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions about the...
Case AnalysisThis case is must reading for any trial lawyer (plaintiff or defense) who litigates product liability cases that rely on sophisticated expert testimony. In a workmanlike 35-page opinion (I did say...
Vident Partners connects attorneys with qualified failure analysis expert witnesses. Complimentary search, 24-hour turnaround, no obligation.
Request an Expert →