CRANE EXPERTS INTERNATIONAL
Post Office Box 461, Fairhope, AL 36533  (251) 533-0498
Lattice crane against the sky Crawler crane silhouetted at dusk Overhead bridge crane Tower crane against a blue sky
Crane accident investigation · Expert witness · Litigation support

The opinion doesn't change for the side that's paying.

Independent crane expert witness testimony, accident investigation, and accredited inspection — built on more than two decades in the field. Retained by plaintiff or defense, the analysis follows the evidence to the same place.

Discuss a case Read the standard
Retained by plaintiffRetained by defense
Same evidence. Same conclusion. Every time.
The standard we're held to

An expert's only asset is credibility.

A crane expert who shades testimony toward the client is worth nothing on cross-examination — and worse than nothing to the client. The independence below isn't a promise; it's the structure of the work.

i.

Impartiality

We assist the trier of fact, not the retaining party. The role is to present a complete and unbiased picture of what the evidence shows — including the parts that don't help the side that hired us.

ii.

Fees never ride on the verdict

Compensation is for the work performed — hourly or a fair flat fee — and is never contingent on the outcome of the case. There is no version of our findings that pays better than another.

iii.

Conclusions before conclusions are wanted

We form the opinion from the standards, the equipment, and the facts. If the analysis doesn't support a theory of the case, you hear that early — when it's still useful, not on the stand.

Where we're retained

Forensic crane and rigging analysis for construction, industrial, maritime, and offshore matters.

Investigation

Accident reconstruction

Reconstruct what happened from site evidence, inspection records, deposition testimony, and manufacturer data — and explain why.

Structural failure

Collapse & failure analysis

Tower, crawler, mobile, overhead, harbor, and offshore cranes — distinguishing operator decisions from mechanical and structural failure.

Rigging

Rigging & lift-plan disputes

Load control, sling and hardware selection, signal-person duties, communication breakdowns, and engineered-lift review.

Regulatory

OSHA & standards matters

Conduct measured against OSHA 1926 / 1910 and the governing ASME B30 volumes — what the standard required, and whether it was met.

Testimony

Deposition & trial

Clear written reports and testimony that translate technical crane operation into terms a judge and jury can follow.

Inspection

Accredited inspection

Independent crane and rigging-gear inspection performed to recognized accreditation requirements, separate from any repair interest.

Field notes

What counsel asks us early

Plain answers to the questions that shape a crane case — shared the same way whether or not we're ever retained.

i."What do you need from us in the first weeks after an accident?"+
Preservation, before anything else. The crane and its components, the load, the rigging, the data recorder or load-moment indicator output, the manufacturer's charts, and the maintenance and inspection records all degrade or disappear fast — equipment gets repaired, scrapped, or returned. Send a spoliation/preservation letter early and photograph everything in place. A case is often won or lost on what still exists in month two.
ii.Why does the "type" of crane decide so much of the case?+
"Crane" is a generic word for very different machines. A tower crane, a hydraulic mobile, a lattice crawler, and an overhead bridge crane each have their own industry association, their own design specifications, and their own OSHA and ASME requirements. The duty of care, the inspection regime, and the relevant standard all change with the machine. Naming the equipment correctly is the first step in framing the question the right way.
iii.Operator error or equipment failure — how do you tell them apart?+
By sequence. We work backward from the failure through the lift plan, the load chart, the configuration, the ground conditions, and the chain of decisions — separating what a reasonable operator should have controlled from what the equipment or the conditions made inevitable. Often it's neither one cleanly, and the honest answer is a percentage. That nuance is exactly what a credible expert is for.
iv.Will a contingency arrangement get me a stronger opinion?+
The opposite — and we don't offer one. An expert paid on the outcome can be impeached on that basis alone, and a jury hears it. A fee tied to the verdict turns an independent analyst into an interested party, which is the one thing testimony can't survive. You're buying objectivity; a contingency fee is the fastest way to spend it.
v.What if your analysis doesn't help our theory of the case?+
You'll hear it from us before you've built around it. A consulting opinion that quietly contradicts the evidence is a liability waiting for cross-examination. We'd rather tell you early that the facts point elsewhere — that's information you can use to settle, refocus, or decline to designate. An honest "no" delivered in month one is more valuable than a convenient "yes" delivered at trial.
Expert Witness

James Pritchett — Curriculum Vitae

James Pritchett, President of Crane Experts International, Inc.
James Pritchett
President · Crane Experts International, Inc.

Crane Experts International, Inc. has many years of experience in the field of crane safety, with a strong record in accident investigations and in assisting attorneys preparing for trial.

Since 1987
In business investigating crane accidents
Past President
Crane Certification Association of America (CCAA)
ISO TC96
U.S. delegate, Technical Advisory Group for cranes
Cal-OSHA
Licensed & approved through the State of California
  1. I have been in business since 1987.
  2. As a founder of Crane Inspection Services, Inc., I am qualified to inspect cranes as per 1910, 1926 and ANSI/ASME guidelines. Crane Inspection Services, Inc. is a recognized private agency, accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor under 29 CFR Part 1919, to inspect, test, and issue certification where required on shore-based material handling devices, and floating cranes and derricks, under the OSHA Maritime Safety Regulations (29 CFR Parts 1915, 1917 and 1918).
  3. We are capable of load testing, inspecting, and performing crane operator training/schools for all types of cranes that are general industry and construction related.
  4. I was licensed and approved through the State of California OSHA.
  5. I am the Past President of the Crane Certification Association of America (CCAA), a national association whose membership consists of agencies nationwide.
  6. I am a past instructor for the U.S. Department of Labor in the 1910 Standards as they relate to cranes.
  7. I am now one of a small number of delegates from the United States to the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) within ISO, Technical Committee for Cranes TC96. This committee meets with other international safety delegates to discuss the formulation of crane safety guidelines.
  8. I perform numerous inspections on various types of cranes nationwide.
  9. I am an Accident Investigator of crane accidents nationwide and have been involved in numerous accident investigations.
  10. I have been hired in the capacity of Expert Witness for a number of law firms over the years.

Accident investigation & trial preparation

Crane Experts International, Inc. has been involved with the successful investigation of crane accidents since 1987. In assisting attorneys with trial preparation, the firm reviews all pertinent information related to an accident, including:

  • Depositions
  • Photographs and pictures
  • Accident reconstruction
  • Review of OSHA and state municipalities’ reports regarding the accident
  • Assistance in interviewing key individuals involved in the accident
James Pritchett
President, Crane Experts International, Inc.

We pride ourselves on our timeliness and look forward to the opportunity of serving you. If you would like additional information, samples of our inspections, references for our company, or details about Crane Operator Training, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to serve you.

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Bring the case before the evidence is gone.

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Call (251) 533-0498 Email pritchettj@aol.com

P.O. Box 461 · Fairhope, AL 36533

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