Articles Posted in Researching Experts

Herbal medicine expert witnesses may opine on herbal medicine, acupuncture, and homeopathy. The Alternative Medicine Blog writes:

Many children with cancer use alternative medicine in their treatment, according to a recent research review. For the review, investigators looked at 28 studies with a total of 3,526 participants (all of whom were children). In 20 of those studies, the researchers found that prevalence of complementary/alternative medicine use ranged anywhere from 6 to 91 percent.

Herbal remedies were found to be the most popular modality in the reviewed studies, followed by therapeutic nutrition and faith-healing. Commonly reported reasons for alternative medicine use included the relief of symptoms, as well as support of ongoing use of conventional cancer treatment (such as chemotherapy).

Collection agencies expert witnesses may opine on lender liability, debt, and debt collection standards of practice. In Debt Collection Practices: When Hardball Tactics Go Too Far The Privacy Right Clearinghouse writes:

Debt Collectors and Your Privacy

Public embarrassment and the prospect that your personal information might be shared with others are real concerns when dealing with a collection agency. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act includes provisions intended to safeguard privacy.

Alternative medicine expert witnesses may opine on herbal medicine, acupuncture, and homeopathy. Statistics suggest that more Americans are embracing therapies outside of mainstream medicine. In 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 38.3 percent of adults said they used some form of alternative medicine, up from 36 percent five years earlier. Just over 44 percent of people ages 50 to 59 report using complementary medicine.

The lines between conventional and complementary medicine are blurring. Many hospitals and mainstream physicians have adopted these techniques as options for patients. Three examples of such therapies are healing touch, biofeedback and Reiki.

For more, see indystar.com.

Pest control expert witnesses may opine regarding pesticide contamination, insects, and insecticides. Pesticides were in the news last week when federal regulators clamped strong new controls on the pesticide believed to have caused the deaths of 4-year-old Rebecca Toone and her 15-month-old sister Rachel the week after an exterminator fumigated rodent holes outside of their Layton, UT, home.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said aluminum and magnesium phosphide fumigants can no longer be used near homes. The agency also expanded the buffer zones required when using it outdoors and imposed a new requirement for posted warnings when the pesticide has been applied. Dr. Gina Solomon who works for the environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, applauded the EPA’s steps Wednesday. The expert wrote about the tobacco industry’s successful efforts to stymie phosphine restrictions when EPA first proposed tougher standards in 1998. “The announcement today really will increase public safety,” she said, calling the EPA’s actions swift, decisive and “critically important.”

For more, see slttrib.com.

Debt collection standards expert witnesses may opine on debt, collection agents, and debt collection standards of practice. In Debt Collection Practices: When Hardball Tactics Go Too Far, The Privacy Right Clearinghouse writes:

May a debt collector contact my neighbors or family members about my debt?

Not if the collector knows your name and telephone number and could have contacted you directly. When contacting your family members including minors or neighbors to find out how to locate you, the collector:

Pesticides expert witnesses may give opinions regarding pesticide contamination which is a topic very much in the news. An internal government audit revealed this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture routinely fails to protect the American public from veterinary drugs, heavy metals and pesticide residue in beef. According to the audit, released by the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General, the USDA has failed to establish guidelines to monitor harmful substances on cattle carcasses, does not test frequently enough to control residue levels and fails to recall meat that is known to be contaminated with veterinary drugs or chemicals.

The residue testing program is run by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is responsible for testing the meat. However, the agency also relies on the Environmental Protection Agency to establish acceptable tolerance levels for human exposure to pesticides and chemicals and the Food and Drug Administration, which sets acceptable levels for antibiotics. According to the audit report, the agencies have shown a lack of commitment on working together to set acceptable standards and reinforce those standards.

For more, see eatdrinkandbe.org.

Galvanization expert witnesses may write reports and opine on galvanic corrosion, pitting corrosion, corrosion fatigue, and more. The Corrosion Technology Laboratory at the NASA Kennedy Space Center defines galvanic corrosion:

Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical action of two dissimilar metals in the presence of an electrolyte and an electron conductive path. It occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact.

It is recognizable by the presence of a buildup of corrosion at the joint between the dissimilar metals. For example, when aluminum alloys or magnesium alloys are in contact with steel (carbon steel or stainless steel), galvanic corrosion can occur and accelerate the corrosion of the aluminum or magnesium.

Corrosion expert witnesses may write reports and opine on galvanic corrosion, pitting corrosion, corrosion fatigue, and more. The Corrosion Technology Laboratory at the NASA Kennedy Space Center defines pitting corrosion:

Passive metals, such as stainless steel, resist corrosive media and can perform well over long periods of time. However, if corrosion does occur, it forms at random in pits. Pitting is most likely to occur in the presence of chloride ions, combined with such depolarizers as oxygen or oxidizing salts. Methods that can be used to control pitting include maintaining clean surfaces, application of a protective coating, and use of inhibitors or cathodic protection for immersion service.

For more, see corrosion corrosion.ksc.nasa.gov.

Disability insurance expert witnesses may opine on health insurance, medical insurance, managed care, and more. In Managed Care Fact Sheets, experts at the health care publisher MCOL describe provider payment arrangements:

Incurred but not reported claims or encounters involve covered services that have been rendered, but have not been received or captured by you to process. You to need to consider this issue when:

* You pay claims from sub-contracted or outside providers.

Medical insurance expert witnesses may opine on health insurance, medical insurance, managed care, and more. In Managed Care Fact Sheets, experts at the health care publisher MCOL describe provider payment arrangements:

Other types of risk sharing include withholds, when a portion of the provider payment is held back and only paid later if certain criteria are met. Also, there are shared risk funds, where physician groups share in a portion of the financial risk and potential profit of hospital or prescription costs.

How shared risk funds work: Typically, in a shared risk arrangement, a fund gets “paid” the capitation rate. Medical expenses are paid from this fund, and periodically, profits or losses are distributed to the participants.