W. Cody Middlebrook, CDS, CDT, is a transportation safety consultant and trucking expert specializing in Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, DOT compliance, and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) accident analysis.

Holding a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with a hazardous materials endorsement, and backed by advanced credentials as a Certified Director of Safety (CDS) and Certified Driver Trainer (CDT), Mr. Middlebrook provides authoritative litigation support, expert reports, and testimony for complex personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Expert Witness Services for Plaintiff & Defense Counsel

Attorneys searching for an objective trucking safety expert rely on Mr. Middlebrook's comprehensive knowledge of the trucking industry's standard of care. He has been retained as a consulting and testifying expert in over 50 civil litigation matters, providing unbiased, evidence-based analysis for both Plaintiff (64%) and Defense (36%) counsel. (*as of March 2026)

His casework spans state and federal jurisdictions nationwide, including major freight corridors in Texas, California, New Mexico, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, and Mississippi.

Core Areas of Trucking Litigation Expertise

Mr. Middlebrook regularly consults with legal teams on accident causation, negligent hiring, and motor carrier liability. His specialized areas of expert review include:

• FMCSA & DOT Regulatory Compliance: Comprehensive evaluation of Hours of Service (HOS), driver qualification files, and motor carrier safety management systems.

• Driver Standard of Care & Training: Application of CDL standards, industry best practices, and the commercial driver's standard of care.

• Trucking Accident Causation Analysis: Evaluation of rear-end collisions, backing incidents, rollovers, lane change/U-turn accidents, and load securement/cargo failures.

• Specialized CMV Regulations: Expert insights on Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) transport, Collision Mitigation Systems, over-dimensional freight, double brokering, and the Licencia Federal de Conductor (Mexican CDL).

• Fleet Safety & Operations: Implementation of ANSI Z-15 motor vehicle safety standards, CVSA enforcement criteria, and systemic fatigue management protocols.

Expert Witness Reports, Depositions & Testimony

Utilizing a systems-based approach rooted in sociology and organizational behavior, Mr. Middlebrook analyzes trucking accidents beyond the immediate point of impact. He evaluates the underlying operational policies, safety audits, and training frameworks of motor carriers, shippers, and brokers. He produces highly detailed and defensible expert witness reports.

Publications

• The CDL Manual and the Standard of Care for CMV Drivers (2025)

• The CDL Manual and Regulatory Alignment with 49 CFR Part 383 (2025)