Consultants

Benjamin T. Railsback, M.S., P.E., F.NSPE, DFE

Principal Engineer

Mr. Railsback is an experienced mechanical engineer employed by Critical Guidance Engineering, a forensic engineering and visualization company founded in 2018. Mr. Railsback has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, is a licensed professional engineer (P.E.), is board certified in forensic engineering by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (DFE) and is an Accredited Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR). As a result of his interest in motor vehicle dynamics, racing, design and manufacturing, Mr. Railsback entered the accident reconstruction industry in 2000. Since that time Mr. Railsback has investigated motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, trains and planes. Mr. Railsback has testified in state and federal court regarding opinions developed in his investigations. Mr. Railsback has also investigated numerous product liability claims involving machine design, guarding and warning issues involving consumer products, heavy equipment, forklifts and material handling equipment, agricultural equipment, manufacturing equipment, and other machinery. Mr. Railsback has also published technical papers with the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Stephen D. Knapp, P.E., DFE, ACTAR

Principal Engineer

Mr. Knapp is a skilled forensic engineer with more than two decades of experience in evaluating and reconstructing motor vehicle accidents, fire/explosions, and cases involving mechanical design and/or manufacturing defects. He is a licensed mechanical engineer and a senior member of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE). He is also a highly trained and Accredited Traffic Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR) having documented and analyzed thousands of vehicle collisions utilizing the principles of physics, crash modeling algorithms, and computer-based simulations. What sets Mr. Knapp apart from other experts is his technical automotive and motorcycle background and hand-on knowledge of engine, drivetrain, suspension, and electronic systems which gives him a unique understanding of vehicle mechanics and the failure modes that can lead to incidents. Mr. Knapp’s comprehensive background evaluating catastrophic events includes the forensic examination of physical evidence to determine the critical factors that were causal to an incident. Overall, Mr. Knapp’s extensive skills and knowledge in forensic engineering and ability to communicate effectively with his clients make him a valuable asset in cases having complex technical and mechanical issues.

William H. Pierce, P.E., DFE, ACTAR

Senior Engineering Consultant

Mr. Pierce is a talented mechanical engineer that enjoys using advanced data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and engineering simulation in his investigations. Mr. Pierce obtained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is a licensed professional engineer (P.E.), is board certified in forensic engineering by the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (DFE), and is an Accredited Accident Reconstructionist (ACTAR). Mr. Piercehas over 15 years of forensic engineering experience, beginning with internships within the forensic engineering industry while in college between 2007 to 2009. He then started full-time within the industry upon graduation in December 2009. Mr. Pierce has investigated motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, semi-trucks, and buses. Mr. Pierce has also investigated numerous product liability claims involving machine design, guarding and warning issues involving consumer products, industrial equipment, and construction equipment. Mr. Pierce has testified for cases filed in both state and federal court. Mr. Pierce has published technical papers with the National Academy of Forensic Engineers and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

John Massale, M.S., P.E.

Senior Engineering Consultant

Mr. Massale, MS, P.E., has been working in product safety consulting and serving as an expert witness since 2016 upon moving to Colorado from the DC metro area. Prior to 2016, he worked for Consumer Product Safety Commission specializing in child safety and furniture safety.

He received his B.S. in engineering from Virginia Tech. After graduating he landed a position with the CPSC as a mechanical engineer. Over the next 8 years his responsibilities grew to running a section of the lab and being the primary federal representative to multiple standards committees. He feels passionate about keeping children safe.

He enjoys focusing his energy on consulting with companies and providing his expertise while balancing being a stay at home dad. Having two small children of his own has put his knowledge to the test!

Rachel Massi, M.S.

Project Engineer

Mrs. Massi, MS, has joined the team here at Critical Guidance Engineering. While working with CGE on a part-time basis since 2018, she has now followed her passion to become a full-time employee. She also worked in a startup company as a mechanical engineer specializing in designing, building, and testing green energy systems. She participated in a 25x system scaling process and gained the responsibility of managing the Mechanical and Process Engineering Team. As a top manager she was able to apply her forensic engineering experience to hazard identification and risk mitigation.

She received her B.S. of Engineering Physics and M.S. of Mechanical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines while on a full academic scholarship. She enjoys being a part of a field where she can see the effect of her engineering having a positive impact on people. Rachel’s passion for helping comes from a young age and was exhibited as a hospital volunteer. Another passion of Rachel’s is solving problems, hence her passion for crime scene shows and characters like Abby Sciuto from NCIS who balanced making a positive impact while conducting forensic investigations and accident reconstruction.