Vident Partners provides vetted human factors and ergonomics expert witnesses for cases involving warning adequacy, perception-reaction time, product and workplace design, human error analysis, and visibility and conspicuity disputes in injury litigation nationwide. Request a referral today.
Find a Human Factors & Ergonomics Expert →Overview
Human factors and ergonomics experts analyze how people perceive, process, and respond to information and hazards in their environment, and whether a product or system was designed for safe human use 1. Attorneys retain them to evaluate the adequacy of warnings and instructions, estimate perception-reaction times, and assess visibility, conspicuity, and the role of human error in an incident 2. These experts apply established research on cognition, attention, and biomechanics — validated through the discipline represented by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) — to determine whether a person could reasonably have detected and avoided a hazard 3. Credentials such as the Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) from the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) reflect demonstrated competency in perception-reaction analysis, warnings, and usability evaluation 4.
The Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) requires a graduate degree or equivalent coursework plus three years of full-time practice in the field before awarding the Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) credential.
Case Types
Adequacy of product warnings and instructions
Perception-reaction time in vehicle and pedestrian collisions
Visibility and conspicuity disputes in low-light incidents
Workplace task and equipment design causing injury
Human error and usability failures in product or system design
Qualifications
Related Specialties
Vident Authority Network
Reporting, review, disclosure, resolution, and clinician support — sourced to primary authority. Human Factors & Ergonomics is one of the disciplines this Center covers. A research project of Vident Partners.
Explore The Patient Safety Standards Project →FAQ
A human factors expert typically holds an advanced degree in human factors, ergonomics, experimental psychology, or industrial engineering, and may hold a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) credential. Applied or research experience in warnings, perception-reaction analysis, or usability, along with prior testimony experience, is important.
These experts are retained in cases involving warning adequacy, perception-reaction time, visibility and conspicuity, workplace task design, and human error in product or system use. They help determine whether a person could reasonably have perceived and avoided a hazard.
In general, expert fees are determined by the expert themselves, based on a variety of criteria. Among those criteria are professional experience, forensic and testimony experience, relevant certifications, case-type specialization, and publications. Vident does have some influence over expert fees by comparing experts within a specialty, but ultimately it is a personal decision by the expert.
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Vident Partners connects attorneys with qualified human factors & ergonomics expert witnesses. Complimentary consultation, 24-hour turnaround, no obligation.
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