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In Help! My New House Is Falling Down, architect Peter Lattey writes that uncovering construction defects requires an expert to discover the cause of damage.

Next comes the slightly tricky part. As a good lawyer, you need to have a construction defect expert that you can call on to help assess the issues of the case. This needs to be an expert who understands the two main areas of dispute in construction defect cases; construction contracts and the technical aspects of construction. The design and construction contracts define who is responsible for all aspects of the project, who approves the work, who pays for what and so forth. There are standard contracts available but these are not always used, and when they are used they are often not adhered to. This is especially true in small projects such as single family homes but can also be true of large commercial projects.

Construction today is a complex business. Even a single family home can have 20 or 30 trades installing different systems. When the systems are installed incorrectly they can interact in unexpected ways to create problems. Then the problems will need to be sorted out. This is no game for an amateur.

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Securities expert witnesses may testify regarding securities regulation, securities fraud, the NASD, and associated matters. In the news, the SEC is investigating whether Ernst & Young, one of the largest professional service firms in the world, violated auditor rules by allowing its lobbying unit to work for audit clients.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.

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Pesticide pollution expert witnesses may write reports and testify regarding pesticide contamination, pesticide products, and pesticide regulations. In December, the public health and environmental non-profit, Toxics Action Center, released a report surveying pesticide use on public school grounds across the state of Maine. The report, “A Call for Safer School Grounds: A Survey of Pesticide Use on K-12 Public School Grounds in Maine,” is based on a survey of 209 Maine public schools and shows that 51% of schools surveyed spray pesticides, many of which have been linked to human health impacts, including kidney disease and links to non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The report finds that the state’s Integrated Pest Management Policy (IPM) is inadequate in regulating pesticide application and informing the public on pesticide practices.

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Medical malpractice expert witnesses may consult on issues involving medical negligence, healthcare providers malpractice, and medical malpractice litigation. In the news, PRWeb reports that overdoses from prescription painkillers kill an estimated 15,000 people each year in the US. Patients taking painkillers over a prolonged time often do not realize they will become addicted. The increase of overdose deaths has become a medical malpractice issue. Statistics show that approximately 40% of medical malpractice trials involve wrongful death. Personal injury attorney Richard P. Console Jr. believes dispensing powerful narcotics without regard for patient safety is “dangerous and absolutely careless.” Console is the founding and managing partner of the Philadelphia firm Console & Hollawell P.C.

http://www.consoleandhollawell.com/

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Aviation expert witnesses may write reports and opine on aerospace engineering, aircraft design, and aircraft operations. After electrical problems on the Boeing 787, the FAA press release of 1/11/13 states:

In light of a series of recent events, the FAA will conduct a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787 critical systems, including the design, manufacture and assembly. The purpose of the review is to validate the work conducted during the certification process and further ensure that the aircraft meets the FAA’s high level of safety….

A team of FAA and Boeing engineers and inspectors will conduct this joint review, with an emphasis on the aircraft’s electrical power and distribution system. The review will also examine how the electrical and mechanical systems interact with each other.

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Pharmacology experts may consult on issues involving pharmaceutical medicine, pharmaceutical companies, and drug prescriptions. In the news, the lawsuit begun in 2007 against Purdue Pharma was moved from New York federal court back to Pike Circuit Court in eastern Kentucky. The state’s Attorney General’s Office has charged Purdue Pharma with misleading consumers and health care providers on the addiction risk of OxyContin. Oxycontin has been blamed for hundreds of deaths as abuse of the painkiller has risen in the Appalachian region. Purdue Pharma L.P. is a privately held pharmaceutical company founded by physicians more than 60 years ago.

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Transportation engineering expert witnesses may opine on barges, canals, and cargo vehicles, as well as related issues. In the news this weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said that crews have been successful in removing bedrock along the Mississippi River to keep a channel in southern Illinois open. The worst U.S. drought in decades has made the river less navigable.

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Forensic psychology expert witness Dr. Robert C. Engle testified Wednesday in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boise on the competency of convicted murderer Joseph Duncan. The hearing will determine whether Duncan was competent when he waived his right to appeal his death sentence in 2008. Duncan was sentenced to death for kidnapping and torturing two Idaho children before killing one of them. Dr. Engle has worked in hospitals, university counseling centers, children’s clinics and his own private practice.

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Pesticides expert witnesses may write reports and testify on pesticide contamination, insects, pesticide products, and pest control. On its website, The Pesticide Action Network North America offers a link to the PAN International list of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), the pesticides of highest concern for human and environmental health.

See http://www.panna.org/.

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Finance expert witnesses may report and testify on corporate finance, financial analysis, financial databases, and related matters. In the news, Dennis Kelleher, President and Chief Executive Officer of the financial reform group Better Markets, said it is absurd that AIG may sue taxpayers over the terms of its bailout. Kelleher, previously a litigation partner with the international law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, also said however, that a lawsuit uncovering details of the bailout “might be a great public service.”

Better Markets is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes the public interest in financial reform in the domestic and global capital and commodity markets.