Rodney Smith

Accepting select engagements

Mechanical Engineering Safety and Design Consultant | P.E., D.F.E. | President, R. K. Smith Engineering Inc.

R. Kevin Smith, P.E., D.F.E. brings over 40 years of hands-on mechanical engineering safety experience to complex product liability and industrial accident cases — from forklift stability testing to aerial work platform tipover reconstruction.

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Daubert-tested

Reports and depositions

45+

Years of Experience

40+

Years on ANSI/ASME/ITSDF Safety Standards Committees

Practice

Areas of Expertise

01

Forklift Safety and Design

02

Powered Industrial Truck Safety

03

Aerial Work Platforms (MEWPs)

04

Machine Guarding and Controls

05

Human Factors in Product Design

06

Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment

07

OSHA Regulations and Compliance

08

Accident Reconstruction

09

Stability Testing

10

Fall Protection

11

Forensic Engineering

12

Industrial Safety

Engagements

Representative Case Experience

Forklift Stability & Overturn — Products Liability

Investigation, stability testing, and accident reconstruction involving a sit-down rider counterbalanced forklift truck overturn resulting in operator injury; analysis of operator restraint systems and overhead guard adequacy.

Testifying Expert

Aerial Work Platform Tipover — Personal Injury

On-site and laboratory investigation of a self-propelled elevating work platform (MEWP) tipover; stability analysis, ANSI A92 standards compliance review, and human factors assessment.

Federal District CourtTestifying Expert

Ladder Products Liability — Baugh v. Cuprum S.A. de C.V., Louisville Ladder, Inc.

Forensic investigation of a ladder-related accident including product design analysis, hazard assessment, and compliance with applicable safety standards.

Testifying Expert

Forklift Safety — Bailey v. Komatsu Forklift USA, Inc.

Investigation and analysis of powered industrial truck safety, including guarding, braking, and stability; testimony regarding OSHA regulations and applicable ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 standards.

Testifying Expert

Mining Equipment — Brewer v. Webster County Coal Corp.

Forensic engineering analysis of industrial equipment involved in a workplace accident; evaluation of machine guarding, hazard controls, and applicable safety standards.

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitTestifying Expert

Conveyor / Machine Guarding — Industrial Products Liability

On-site investigation and laboratory testing related to a conveyor system accident; machine guarding assessment, risk analysis, and evaluation of employer and manufacturer compliance with OSHA and ANSI standards.

Testifying Expert

Engagement

Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Smith's deepest expertise covers forklifts and powered industrial trucks, aerial work platforms and MEWPs, skid steer loaders, telescopic material handlers, cranes, scaffolding, ladders, conveyors, and machine guarding systems. He has conducted on-site and laboratory investigations in these areas since 1982.

Yes. Dr. Smith has extensive experience analyzing OSHA citations and compliance in construction, industrial, and manufacturing environments, and holds an OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety certification. He has served on multiple ANSI/ASME/ITSDF safety standards committees since 1984.

Dr. Smith has been retained as both a consulting and testifying expert across a wide range of product liability and industrial accident cases, and is available to counsel either side. His opinions are grounded strictly in engineering analysis and applicable safety standards.

Dr. Smith holds an IPAF Powered Access License (PAL) for boom and scissor lifts (Type 3a/3b) and has served on the ANSI/SIA A92.5, A92.6, A92.20, A92.22, and A92.24 standards committees. He also provides A92 certification consulting and has published peer-reviewed work on MEWP stability and wind loading.

Dr. Smith has testified in federal district courts across multiple jurisdictions, including the Northern District of Illinois, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Northern District of Iowa, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Yes. Dr. Smith performs both on-site and laboratory accident reconstruction, including stability testing, computer animation and simulation of machine systems, biomechanical analysis, and human factors evaluation. He has applied these methods to forklift overturns, MEWP tipovers, and a broad range of industrial product accidents.

Ready to Work With a Leading Industrial Safety Expert?

Request a consultation with R. Kevin Smith, P.E., D.F.E. — a Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering with over 40 years of experience in mechanical engineering safety, accident reconstruction, and expert testimony.