Expert Witness in Radiology Design and Construction
Bernstein & Associates, Architects, through its principal William N. Bernstein, AIA, has provided expert witness services in matters involving the design and construction of radiology facilities and related properties. Attorneys litigating cases that involve construction defects, radiation shielding design and verification failures, MRI suite siting and structural problems including magnetic field, RF shielding, and quench-vent design issues, CT and PET-CT scanner room shielding and structural problems, fluoroscopy and angiography suite design defects, nuclear medicine and hot lab design failures, mammography and ultrasound room defects, radiology reading room design problems, HVAC and equipment cooling failures, accessibility violations, fire safety and egress issues, water infiltration and building envelope failures, phased-construction disputes, and other claims related to the design and construction of radiology facilities require an expert witness architect who understands both the applicable building codes and standards and the practical realities of how those requirements are applied in the design, construction, and renovation of real radiology facilities.
About Radiology Design and Construction
Radiology design and construction encompasses a range of facility types, including hospital radiology departments, freestanding imaging centers, women’s imaging centers, outpatient imaging centers, mobile imaging suites, MRI suites (including 1.5T, 3T, and higher-field systems), CT and PET-CT suites, fluoroscopy and interventional radiology suites, angiography and cath labs, nuclear medicine departments and hot labs, mammography suites, ultrasound rooms, DEXA bone density rooms, radiography rooms, radiation oncology facilities (linear accelerator vaults and brachytherapy suites), and the support spaces that serve them, including control rooms, equipment rooms, technologist work areas, patient changing and waiting areas, and reading rooms.
The design and construction of radiology facilities is governed by a complex framework of technical standards, including the applicable building code (for example, in New York City, the New York City Building Code), the International Building Code, ICC A117.1, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code, ASHRAE 170 ventilation standards, NCRP reports including NCRP 147 (shielding for medical x-ray facilities), NCRP 49, NCRP 151 (megavoltage radiotherapy shielding), the FGI Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities (imaging chapters), ACR-AAPM guidelines for medical imaging facility design, manufacturer siting requirements for major imaging equipment, state radiation control regulations, NRC requirements for nuclear medicine and radiation therapy facilities, ADA requirements, and state and local department of health requirements.
Disputes commonly arise over construction defects affecting building envelopes, interior finishes, and imaging spaces; radiation shielding design errors and construction defects (insufficient lead thickness, gaps at joints and penetrations, non-compliant lead-lined doors and frames); MRI suite problems including magnetic field encroachment on adjacent spaces, ferromagnetic intrusion in the 5-gauss line, RF shielding failures, vibration affecting image quality, and quench-vent design and routing failures; CT and PET-CT shielding and structural problems; fluoroscopy and angiography suite layout and shielding defects; nuclear medicine hot lab ventilation, shielding, and waste storage defects; mammography and ultrasound room design problems; reading room ergonomics and lighting failures; HVAC and equipment cooling failures (which often disable imaging equipment); non-compliant accessibility features; inadequate fire-rated assemblies and egress; and disputes arising from phased-construction projects. Responsibility for compliance with the applicable standards is shared, in different ways, among the operator, the landlord, the design professional, the contractor, subcontractors, specialty vendors, and the party responsible for ongoing maintenance, and litigation in this area frequently turns on the allocation of responsibility for design decisions, construction means and methods, and post-occupancy maintenance.
Expert Witness Services Related to Radiology Design and Construction
Expert witness services in radiology design and construction matters typically include a careful review of the project documents (drawings, specifications, submittals, RFIs, change orders, permits, certificates of occupancy, ICRA plans, department of health filings and approvals, lease agreements, commissioning reports, and as-built conditions) (along with shielding design reports, NCRP analyses, MRI siting analyses, and equipment manufacturer site planning packages), a site survey to measure and document the conditions at issue, comparison of those conditions against the applicable building codes, life safety codes, radiology facility guidelines, NCRP and ACR-AAPM standards, manufacturer siting requirements, accessibility standards, and industry standards of care, review of construction administration records and maintenance histories, and the preparation of clear, well-supported opinions regarding the cause of the defect or failure, the responsibility of the various parties, and the standard of care applicable to the design, construction, and maintenance of radiology facilities.
An effective radiology design and construction expert witness must be able to explain technical requirements — radiation shielding design and verification under NCRP, MRI suite siting and the magnetic field, RF shielding, and quench-vent considerations, CT and PET-CT structural and shielding requirements, fluoroscopy and angiography suite design, nuclear medicine hot lab design, equipment cooling and HVAC, reading room design, fire-rated assembly construction, egress geometry, accessibility clearances, and building envelope detailing — in plain language to judges, juries, arbitrators, and mediators, and must have the credentials, written record, and courtroom-ready communication skills to render credible opinions.
Mr. Bernstein is a Yale-trained, NCARB-certified, LEED-accredited, registered architect. He has expertise in architectural design, engineering design, and construction as the founder/owner of an architectural firm, Bernstein & Associates, Architects, (1990-present) and as the founder/owner of a construction project management firm, Empire Projects, Inc. (2003-Present). He has been the expert witness (as of May 2026) on (40) cases involving design and construction (2006-present) across the United States and Internationally.
Mr. Bernstein’s radiology design experience includes radiology and imaging projects including MRI, CT, fluoroscopy, vascular and interventional radiology, and reading rooms. Mr. Bernstein’s approach to reading room design has been featured in Radiology Today, and the firm has worked on imaging projects for hospitals, vascular and interventional radiology centers, and outpatient imaging centers. This depth of hands-on architectural design experience — from program development and code analysis through construction administration and commissioning — provides the technical foundation needed to render credible expert opinions on radiology design and construction disputes.
Contact
Please contact Bernstein & Associates, for expert witness services related to the design and construction of radiology facilities.