Forensic Welding Expert

Welding Expert & Metals Expert Consultant 

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When it comes to telling it like it is, in plain, easy to understand English, Dr. Grantham is the obvious choice. His gentle yet commanding style conveys his knowledge and professionalism allowing jurors to easily comprehend the expert forensic findings of his report. Dr. Grantham has been involved in several multi-million dollar suits involving welding and metal failures for both the plaintiffs as well as defendants.

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With over 30 years in the welding and metals industries, his passion for his work is overshadowed only by his vast experience and skill.

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Proven Litigation Success

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Dr. Grantham is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Colorado, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Over the past decade has successfully provided expert testimony in local, state and federal courts.

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When you need failure analysis of welds, metallurgical determinations, alloy analysis or welding engineering, call WJMG™ to professionally address your weld failure cases.

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Cases

• Commercial Litigation:

  • Represented commercial note holders sued by payees for welding a natural gas pipeline, resulting in a confidential settlement.

  • Experts Never Agree- The Essential Life

  • Disputed X-rays of Welds for Skywalk at the Grand Canyon.

  • Welder Fell from Scoreboard in a Gymnasium.

  • Large Stainless-Steel Tanks that had been fabricated in parts by client, then welded in the field by a subcontractor.

  • Defect allegations pertaining to building structure. 

  • Skid failure-natural gas compressor station.

• Class Actions: 

  • Served as Lead Plaintiff's expert in several statewide and nationwide class actions for welding skid mounted oilfield equipment.

• Products Liability: 

  • Represented a welder who was severely burned when machine spewed boiling fluid over the welder. 

  • Welding Code Non-Compliance: Precast Panel Collapse.

  • Failed welding Safety, Result: Refinery Explosion.

  • Weld assessments, weld inspections of Handrail connections.

  • Metallurgical observations, evaluations and analyses of Pipe materials

  • Assessment of discrepant welds

  • Weld assessment of Slug catcher. North Dakota

  • Failed Hydraulic fitting garbage disposal truck.

• Breach of Contract, Plaintiff: 

  • Obtained significant settlement for onshore & offshore oilfield tank battery fire incident. 

  • Fillet Welds on Greased Structural Steel Surfaces.

  • Loop grain handling system towers and grain bin that collapsed.

• Government Regulation:

  • Represented highly regarded pump manufacturer pertaining to a multimillion-dollar alleged defect welding repairs for oil well fracking. 

• Environmental Litigation:

  • Represented oilfield E&P firm onshore oil spill, fire, and clean up. 

  • Forensic metal roof hail damage.

  • Tank battery fire. Weld County, CO

• Wrongful Death:

  • Represented the family of an NDT technician reaching a favorable settlement for the technicians share of estate. After electrocution by a defective MT yoke.

  • Polypropylene Demister Fire in Duct: Air Carbon Cutting.

  • Firestone Vacuum tank explosion.

  • Hot work explosion- welding power supply.

  • Forensic analysis - Welding arc ignited flammable gases at a tank battery.

• Personal Injury:

  • Weed burner injury.

  • Gusset weld assessments, Weld inspections of 4 jack stands & 16 gusset welds in legs.

  • Broken weld in roll bar of lawn mower.

  • Loop grain handling system towers and grain bin that collapsed.

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Note: These verdicts and settlements are intended to be representative of cases handled by Dr. Jesse A. Grantham, PE. and WJMG. As the facts and law on each case differ, these listing are not guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any. ​

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Failure Analysis

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Failure analysis of welds is the collection, study and analysis of service conditions to assess possible causes of a break-down and the fault of the failure incident.

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WJMG™ assessments have included the most likely cause of weld failures in pipelines, pressure vessels, tanks, transportation vehicles, mass-produced products and general construction defects which generally have large financial implications.

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Welding design, procedures, processes and quality are critical in infrastructure items used on a daily basis to help millions of people. Misaligned components, worn-out mechanisms and extended service life must not succumb to unsafe conditions due to budgetary restraints or unrealistic installation schedules.

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Numerous catastrophic failures of metals have been directly linked to weld defects with exponentially higher costs in lost lives, lost income and replacement expenses.

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 Cases

• Offshore Litigation:

  • Emphasis on offshore explosions and injuries.

• Pipeline Explosions:

  • Represented several individuals burned or killed due to pipeline explosions.

  • "Stripper" Pressure Vessel 4C-5 (Drawings, Inspection reports, etc.)

  • Pressure vessels - unilaterally deemed unusable by In-service.

• Apartment Explosion:

  • Represented HOA for tenants who were severely burned from a gas line explosion.

  • Gas Pipe Failures at Condos Resulted in Explosion and Fire.

• Educational Institute Liability:

  • Represented a teenager who was severely burned while in welding class.

• Plant Explosions:

  • Represented in one of largest explosions in Louisiana history.

  • Failed Girth welds in a 30" Steam Line at an Overseas Power Plant.

  • The Case of the Nitric Acid Reheater.

  • Pressure Vessel Explosion after Weld Repairs- Subrogation. 

  • Contracted Weld Inspections, Last Line of Defense for Repairs.

• Offshore Death:

  • Expert welding witness for Plaintiff contractor to install guards for worker safety.​​

• Transmission Tower Welds:

  • Defective Welds in Tower Arms of Power Transmission Poles.

  • Transmission Towers- Metallurgical/ Welds/ NDT Assessments of Tower, Arms and Base Plate Welds.

  • Metallurgical/ Weld Assessment on Transmission tower dispute for defendant energy corporation in New Orleans in connection with Hurricane Ida.

  • Alleged surface rust, stainless steel metallurgy and stainless welding issues. 

• Weld Failures:

  • The Case of the ATV A-arm Weld fracture. 

  • Ocean-Going Container Vessel, Rudder Access Plate Weld Repairs.

  • Failed Ramp Welds and Personal Injuries- Rented Moving truck.

  • Failed Welds in Electrical Cabinet Support Leg- Personal Injury. 

  • Failed Structural Repair Welds- Aluminum Dump Trailer.

  • Investigations of Weld regions of Stainless-Steel Pipe Spools.

  • Determined the cause origin of the Catastrophic Failure of Large airplane hangar Door.

  • Leaky Plug Welds and Adjacent regions in heat exchanger panels, bottom panel plug welds and through-plate Micro-fissures in top pane fillet welds.

  • Weld assessments on exemplar chair.

  • Bigge crane collapse (one death, injuries and property damage).

  • Possible failed welds on agriculture conveyor belt.

  • Welding issues - discontinuities - Hanger in Hawaii. 

  • Polaris rollover. ATV

  • Expert assessments of Defective weld failure on a pop-up Gooseneck hitch.

  • Broken Welds, truck frame

• Metal Failures:

  • Trailer & truck Frame Failures- Defective Weld Repairs.

  • Connection Failure to a Respiratory sensing lead of an implanted "Inspire Respiratory System"

  • Coal Shaker Viber Mill. Cracked shell

• Safety & Heath:

  • Welding performed on a metal catwalk on top of a wastewater treatment biosolids tank.

  • Product liability case of oxygen-acetylene torch assembly & flack back attestor. 

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Note: These verdicts and settlements are intended to be representative of cases handled by Dr. Jesse A. Grantham, PE. and WJMG. As the facts and law on each case differ, these listing are not guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any. 

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WJMG™ provides independent expert assessments and opinions that will stand up in court regarding welds and metal failures. WJMG™ uses a “hands-on approach” to examine and test exemplar welds and subject welds to determine the most likely root cause of a weld failure.

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WJMG™ has decades of experience in liability determination and subrogation matters.

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