The 36th Annual Product Liability Conference will run October 15-17, 2024

Learn current and emerging product liability prevention practices from experienced product safety management professionals including consulting engineers, product safety standards experts, and a defense attorney.

Product safety and risk management professionals from industrial and commercial equipment manufacturers along with insurance providers will benefit the most. Past attendees stating they received valuable information include:

• Product safety management managers
• Risk management managers
• Product development managers
• Design engineers
• Technical writers
• Product liability underwriters
• In-house attorneys and outside council

This is a HyFlex (in-person and online) conference. Your registration is for one teaching platform only: in-person or online. Please be prepared to attend all days either in-person or online. Contact us if you have any questions before registering. 

This course uses the Canvas course management and Zoom platforms. A UW NetID is required to access the online course site. Both in-person and online students should obtain a NetID and access the Canvas course website. Your registration confirmation email will walk you through the NetID process and how to access Canvas.

All materials for the conference are digital and will be available on the Canvas course website. Access to the conference materials and the webinar platform will be provided 1-2 days before the first day. Please watch the email address you provided during registration for conference updates. Check your spam file if you do not see emails from the "wisc.edu" addresses. 

Janet Anderson, Ph.D, DABT

Principal Toxicologist

GSI Environmental Inc.

San Antonio, Texas

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – also known as “Forever Chemicals” have dominated the environmental and chemical manufacturing attention.  This class of chemicals presents a continuing challenge for all industries due to the evolving and unique regulatory landscape.   This presentation, given by GSI’s expert in PFAS toxicology and regulations, will provide an overview of the regulatory, legal and corporate policy implications for U.S. industries that may use, or have, PFAS in their supply chain.  The presentation will differentiate between PFAS fact and fiction and will highlight why the scientific and regulatory communities have differing interpretations of the science related to these chemicals.  Current product compliance requirements and legal challenges will be presented, with recommendations for secondary manufacturers and distributors of products containing PFAS.   

Session 2: On-Product Warnings: ANSI Z535.4 and ISO 3864-2

Steve Wood, Ph.D

Senior Litigation Consultant

Courtroom Science Inc.

Houston, Texas

Why are jurors willing to award seemingly exorbitant damage awards in product liability cases? More importantly, what can be done about it? Thousands of hours of mock juror deliberations and post-trial interviews with actual jurors has revealed that many variables influence jurors’ desires to award high damages. This presentation provides a glimpse into the minds of everyday Americans who find themselves in the jury box during trial and in the jury room during deliberations.

Michael M. Maguire

CPCU, ARM, Vice President, Commercial Markets Underwriting, PMA Companies

Sarah Tipton

ARM, CEAS II, Senior Strategic Risk Control Consultant, PMA Companies

Kate Henderson

Senior Casualty Underwriting Specialist, Product Management and Development, PMA Companies

PMA Companies

Schaumburg, Illinois

From discontinued products to gross annual revenue, your product liability insurance carrier will dig deep with questions when you’re securing coverage. In this session, we’ll share why those questions are important – and how you can use that information to improve your organization and be a better risk.  We’ll look at several areas including…the impact of what you’re saying on your website, the importance of external third-party audit results like those for Safe Quality Foods (SQF) certifications, and concerns about importing products or components. You’ll understand why past loss trends and claims history aren't as reliable in product liability forecasting as in other coverage lines. Learn from both the underwriting and risk control perspectives to help your organization control your product liability exposures

Steve Pietropaolo, MS, P.E., CFEI, DFE

Board Certified Diplomate in Forensic Engineering

Chief Executive Officer

LGI Forensic Engineering, P.C.

North White Plains, NY

Many times, after a failure, claim or lawsuit product manufacturers may be called requested to forensically exam their products either in-situ or after recovery in a laboratory setting. This presentation will deal with the codes and standards associated with the forensic analysis of product failures and working with outside forensic experts

April Greene, CSP, ASP

Will Brokaw, MS

Kestrel Tellevate LLC (KTL)

Madison, Wisconsin

Safety culture is the sum total of your organization’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and actions toward safety. It is often referred to as “the way we do things around here” regarding safety. Previous research has identified key attributes or qualities that positive safety cultures share. This presentation will review these key attributes, provide real world examples, and discuss tools and strategies organizations can use to assess and improve their existing safety culture

Nicolaus Faino, MS, P.E., CFEI

Sr. Staff Consultant

Engineering Systems Inc. (ESI)

Seattle, Washington

As part of your safety-focused design process, risk assessment is a best practice with numerous benefits that go beyond making a better product. Regardless of how safe or well-designed a product is, there is always a potential for product liability litigation. Risk assessments are not only vital to delivering a safe product but also in setting up a successful defense in the event of litigation. This session will provide a high-level introduction to risk assessments with respect to manufacturers, insurance professionals, and attorneys, covering topics such as definitions, applicable standards, and methods. It will focus on the importance of risk assessments in product liability litigation from a forensic engineering consultant’s perspective and some example case studies

Amy Gnadt,  CSP, CFPS, ARM

Product Director, Risk Control Services

Liberty  Mutual Insurance

Allen, Texas

Join an insurance professional to review high-cost claim case studies and what strategies could have been employed to mitigate the severity of the claim outcome

Ed Casmere, Attorney at Law

Co-Head of Litigation and Disputes

Norton Rose Fulbright USA LLP

Chicago, Illinois

Defending the integrity of a company, its product, and its people is of paramount importance in a product liability lawsuit.  Simple tweaks to company’s culture, policies, and procedures during the initial development and production of a product can mean all the difference to preventing a lawsuit, or leading to a good outcome in the event a case is filed.  In this presentation, we will discuss some of the most common mistakes made by lawyers and company personnel in defending a product liability claim from product research, design, and development all the way through a jury trial.  The discussion will include not only how to avoid those mistakes, but also how to fix them

Chad Neuens

CMN Litigation Group

Tulsa, Oklahoma

The terms and conditions in your contracts should not be an afterthought.  They can and should be used to protect your company from liability for alleged product defects.  In this presentation, Chad Neuens will discuss how your company’s terms and conditions can protect from liability, as well as how they can potentially create liability.  Chad will also provide some suggestions of terms and conditions for consideration for your company’s contracts

Judge Nicolas J. McNamara

Dane County Circuit Court, Branch 5

Adjunct Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Law

As Alternative Dispute Resolution has become the norm for settling legal disputes, the significance of a rare jury trial has become greater than ever - a symbolic proxy for many other potential or pending matters. But this means the "players" like expert witnesses, lawyers and judges often have very little experience using the rules of evidence to persuasively present facts, both basic and sometimes very complicated facts. Understanding certain truths about very uncertain rules of evidence for trial, especially with regard to the role of judges and the very limited rights of appeal for incorrect evidentiary rulings, will be useful for parties, entities and lawyers who may find themselves in litigation with a need for preparing for one of those rare trial experiences

Thadd Llaurado

Michelle Hockers

Murphy & Prachthauser

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Plaintiffs’ counsel Thadd Llaurado and Michelle Hockers  will provide a summary of proving a product liability case in Wisconsin, the screening involved in selecting cases, and numerous case examples of product liability actions handled in Wisconsin and throughout the country

Melanie Whitman, CCEP, CHA and CMQ/OE

Principal Consultant: Food, Beverage and Consumer Products – US Based

RQA, Inc.

Tinley Park, Illinois

No organization wants to experience a recall. However, should one occur (and they do) the team needs to be ready. In this session we will share critical elements of recall plans, top success factors and case examples of how having recall planning and mitigation strategies established can enhance business resilience and insulate against the impacts of recalls for businesses, customers, and consumers. We will also share some ideas on how to achieve the alignment and involvement of key business stakeholders in the recall program

Tony Orzechowski

Principal and Owner

Convergent Analytics AI, LLC

In this session we will focus on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing the reliability and safety within various industries. This presentation will delve into the innovative application of Prognostic Health Monitoring (PHM) techniques, which leverage AI to identify potential issues and failures before they occur, thereby enabling preemptive action to ensure safety and reliability. Furthermore, the talk will explore the utilization of Reliability Analytics, providing attendees with insights into understanding both expected and unexpected failure rates over time, thus improving prediction accuracy and operational efficiency.

Cal Burnton

Program Manager

University of Wisconsin

Cal Burnton has tried and won numerous complex toxic tort and product liability cases, earning a national reputation for his ability to coordinate, manage, and defend mass toxic tort and complex product liability cases with a special emphasis on high-risk matters involving novel legal, scientific, and environmental theories. During his session, he will provide an overview of recent product liability cases and verdicts, discuss lessons to be learned from those cases, and recommend what manufacturers might do to avoid similar situations

Ed Casmere

Co-Head of Litigation and Disputes

Norton Rose Fulbright USA LLP

Chicago, Illinois

Chad Neuens

CMN Litigation Group

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Depositions of a corporate representative can have ramifications both in the case at issue and in future proceedings.  Preparation is critical.  Experienced attorneys Ed Casmere and Chad Neuens will discuss and demonstrate ways to protect your witness and company in crucial part of a lawsuit—the deposition of a company representative.

Sarah Tipton has over 25 years of experience as a property & casualty insurance risk control consultant; she is a member of PMA Companies' Liability Team, specializing in product liability.

In that capacity, Ms. Tipton has evaluated product risk from consumer goods (including foods) to machinery and equipment for her underwriting partners, supported colleagues at PMA Companies in their risk assessments, and helped design and test risk assessment tools.

Ms. Tipton is a member of American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and has an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation. After earning a BS in Engineering Physics at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), she started her career in commercial insurance and industrial safety. She’s based in St. Louis, MO.

Michelle Hockers is a shareholder at Murphy & Prachthauser, S.C. Ms. Hockers practices exclusively personal injury law representing injured persons in cases involving product defects, motor vehicle accidents, and unsafe premises. Ms. Hockers has litigated numerous serious injury cases caused by defective products, automobile accidents, and other forms of negligent conduct in Wisconsin. She has also been admitted to practice in courts across the country including California and Minnesota on auto product cases.

Melanie Whitman is RQA’s Vice President, Crisis & Risk Management, joining the RQA Team in November 2015. Melanie holds an undergraduate degree in Organizational Leadership and an MBA in Consulting, Operations, and Innovation and Technology. She has more than 25 years strong industry experience covering food and consumer products, most recently as Global Operations Corporate Compliance Manager for Wolverine Worldwide, and at Cabela’s Incorporated as Senior Manager, Integrity & Compliance. Previously Melanie was Risk Manager, Business Continuity / Auditing and Supply Quality Specialist / Auditor Diageo North America.  She is a Certified HACCP Auditor (CHA/FSQA), Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), and a Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) from the American Society for Quality. Melanie is an FDA FSMA PCQI for Human and Animal Food, IA VA and FSVP Lead Instructor.

Melanie was responsible for risk management and factory audit programs in the Americas portfolio of facilities (factory, DC, offices, distilleries) for $17B world-leading manufacturer of premium beverages. She supervised internal and third-party response teams in responding to customer, in-market and manufacturing quality concerns, and led product recall planning and corporate response.  She has developed and delivered training programs for instructors, employees and managers on safety, security, risk assessment, Code of Conduct and other topics.  Additional experience included corporate quality systems implementation projects across North America, planning and execution of gap analysis audits for wholly owned, third-party and supplier manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers in the U.S. and internationally.

Melanie has directed strategy and operations for teams globally, responsible for benchmarking level assessments to gain insight, inform, and align resources for corporate compliance strategy. She engaged business functions to ensure global compliance operations were effective in meeting customer compliance (Disney, Target, etc.), licensee, and wholesale business compliance needs related to manufacturing code/social compliance and consumer product safety for $3B multinational leather, footwear and apparel company. She led an initiative to renovate the global supplier due diligence audit program for $3.7B multinational retail and finance company to ensure compliance throughout the supply chain. She developed and coached an audit team in executing factory audits and strategy for improvement, identifying risks and proposing improvements in Europe, Asia and the Americas.