Combustion Expert Witness
Decades of Experience with Combustion and Heat Transfer Systems
Therm-A-Cor Consulting provides expert witness services for legal cases involving combustion system failures, explosions, and emissions releases. Our insight is based on real-world experience designing, building, and operating the same types of systems we now evaluate in court.
Clear, Defensible Engineering Opinions for Legal Teams
With deep technical understanding of combustion systems and emissions processes, we help legal teams:
- Reconstruct combustion conditions prior to an incident
- Analyze the likelihood of failure or emissions release
- Participate in depositions involving opposing experts
- Testify in court at the federal, state, or local level
Technical Systems We Specialize In
Our experience covers a wide range of combustion and venting systems, including:
- Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers (RTOs)
- Medical and hazardous waste incinerators
- Industrial oxidizers and refinery fired heaters
- Calcining kilns
- High-pressure heat transfer systems (air, gas, steam, chemical)
- Organic vent and fume collection systems
Why Therm-A-Cor
Therm-A-Cor brings a rare combination of field-tested engineering experience and expert-level communication. Our lead engineer, Donald Corwin, PE, has spent decades designing and building the very systems most experts only study—giving him a unique ability to identify the cause of combustion-related incidents and explain them in clear, defensible terms.
Real-world expertise
We've worked hands-on with the combustion and emissions systems involved in many forensic cases, including oxidizers, incinerators, heaters, and vent collection systems.
Credible testimony
Our knowledge holds up under scrutiny. We provide support during depositions and have testified in federal, state, and local courts.
Focused specialization
We don't just review combustion systems—we've designed them. This foundation allows us to reconstruct failures based on a deep understanding of how these systems should behave under normal and abnormal conditions.
Engineering clarity
We're skilled at translating highly technical details into language that legal professionals, juries, and opposing counsel can understand.
Whether you're building a case or preparing for trial, Therm-A-Cor offers the technical insight and courtroom experience to support your legal strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Expert Witness Services
We specialize in a wide range of combustion and heat transfer systems, including regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs), hazardous and medical waste incinerators, refinery process heaters, calcining kilns, and complex burner/heat transfer systems. Our expertise also extends to the design and evaluation of organic vent collection systems.
We provide detailed and defensible engineering opinions, assist during depositions of opposing experts, and offer expert testimony in court at federal, state, and local levels. Our experience in designing and building combustion systems allows us to reconstruct historical combustion conditions pertinent to the case.
Our founder, Donald Corwin, PE, is a board-certified Forensic Engineer registered in 14 states with over 30 years of experience in industrial combustion systems. We have provided expert testimony in U.S. District Court and have helped many cases reach settlement without trial through our detailed technical analyses.
Yes, we can provide estimates of historic emissions from combustion systems and events. Using stack test reports and analytical operational information, we conduct detailed engineering reviews to assess emission potentials, even from systems that may not be currently operating.
Our forensic engineering reviews include analyses of current and historic control and operational conditions, identification of causes for failures such as incomplete burning or control system malfunctions, and evaluations of fume collection, boiler, refractory, and heat transfer systems. We aim to provide comprehensive insights into the factors leading to combustion system failures.
We understand the time-sensitive nature of legal proceedings and can provide rapid response for urgent cases. Our process is streamlined to deliver thorough analysis and documentation within the constraints of legal timelines.
Therm-A-Cor has provided expert testimony for cases involving industrial accidents, equipment failures, fires and explosions, air pollution control issues, and regulatory compliance matters. Our expertise covers a wide range of combustion equipment including incinerators, boilers, oxidizers, and process heaters.
Ready to Discuss Your Case?
We tailor our expert witness services to fit the scope of your case and your legal team's needs.
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