Principal Engineer & Expert Witness – Railroad and Metallurgical Engineering

Johnson handles a broad range of railroad litigation matters including train derailment investigations, FELA and OSHA injury claims, product liability for locomotive and railcar components, tank car design disputes, and locomotive fuel consumption proceedings. He has served both plaintiff and defense counsel since founding his consulting practice in 1997.

Yes — Johnson holds a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering and spent 13 years at GE Transportation Systems progressing from Senior Metallurgist to Manager of Component Design, giving him direct expertise in both disciplines. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE-033313E) and a Certified Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR #1517).

Johnson has extensive experience downloading, interpreting, and presenting locomotive event recorder, fault log, and data pack information in litigation contexts. He presented on locomotive event recorder downloads at the 2020 EDR Summit and has addressed the topic in multiple national conference presentations.

Yes — Johnson has provided formal expert testimony before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on locomotive fuel consumption matters, in addition to his civil litigation work for plaintiff and defense clients across state and federal venues.

Johnson routinely analyzes applicable FRA regulations, CFR provisions, and GCOR operating rules in the context of accident reconstruction and derailment investigations. His work includes evaluating whether regulatory requirements were met and how any deviations may have contributed to an incident.

Operating from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Johnson has served clients nationally and has presented at conferences across the United States and Canada. His consulting firm, Railroad & Metallurgical Engineering, Inc., accepts engagements from counsel throughout the country.