Expert Witness Blog

Steven J. Milloy, founder and publisher of JunkScience.com, is also a columnist for FoxNews.com. Milloy has testified as a chemical expert witness on risk assessment and Superfund before the U.S. Congress.

He writes:

Food riots caused by rising food prices have erupted around the world. Five people died in riots in Haiti — perhaps the first of many casualties yet to come from the current fad of being “green.” Food riots also broke out in Egypt, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Ethiopia. The military is being deployed in Pakistan and Thailand to protect fields and warehouses. Higher energy costs and policies promoting the use of biofuels like ethanol are being blamed.

Livermore-based Tri-Valley CAREs’ has filed a lawsuit challenging the DOE’s approval to begin experiments with deadly pathogens such as live anthrax, plague and Q fever in a portable Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) facility that includes three internal labs… Operations at the Livermore BSL-3 will include genetic modification of bio-weapon agents, raising the possibility that novel, uniquely lethal pathogens will result. Aerosol expert witnesses will no doubt be called to opine on the facility’s plan to conduct aerosol (spray) experiments. TriVallycares.com reports:

Genetically manipulating organisms and creating aerosols are two activities that have “dual use,” meaning they can be associated with offensive as well as defensive bio-warfare research. Tri-Valley CAREs and independent experts believe that conducting this research at a classified DOE lab whose mission is the development of nuclear weapons threatens the Biological Weapons Convention, the treaty banning bio-weapons to which the U.S. is a signatory.

Building codes expert witnesses will no doubt be called in the lawsuit which the city of Minneapolis and three north Minneapolis neighborhoods filed against TJ Waconia. Plaintiffs say Waconia’s practices left many homeowners unable to sell their homes or owing significantly more for their homes than they are worth which worsened the foreclosure crisis in Minneapolis.
“The foreclosures and vacated dwellings resulting from TJ Waconia have caused damage to the City including increased costs for inspection of buildings for code violations, boarding vacant buildings, providing increased police and fire protection, acquiring and rehabilitating vacant buildings, and providing maintenance such as garbage removal and weed-cutting,” said north Minneapolis Council Member Don Samuels (Ward 5). “We deserve redress for these costs.”

Robotics uses intelligent machines and systems in space exploration, human services, and manufacturing. A robotics expert witness can opine on the design and implementation of intelligent machines which do work too dirty, too dangerous, too precise, or too tedious for humans. Intelligent machines have applications in medicine, defense, space and underwater exploration, service industries, disaster relief, manufacturing and assembly and entertainment.

Just for fun, see Monty Does the Dishes http://anybots.com/videos.html

A suicide expert witness can explain causes of murder-suicde to a jury. The motivation for the murder in murder-suicide can be purely criminal in nature or be perceived by the perpetrator as an act of care for loved ones in the context of severe depression. The severely depressed person may see the world as a terrible place and can feel that they are helping those they care about by removing them from it. Thoughts like this are generally regarded as a medical emergency requiring suicide intervention.

Since crime just prior to suicide is often perceived as being without consequences, it is not uncommon for suicide to be linked with homicide. Motivations may range from guilt to evading punishment, insanity, part of a suicide pact, or exacting revenge on those whom they feel are responsible.

In Pre-Suit Investigation in 18-Wheeler Trucking Cases InjuryBoard.com suggests that in the event of a trucking accident:

Retain a Trucking Industry/Accident Reconstruction Expert: Important information can be lost forever in the investigation is not preformed accurately and immediately. This is the best step to lay the groundwork for a great case. A well qualified expert in the trucking industry can assist in gathering all the evidence necessary to guide the case. Experts know what documents are needed to find out the truth behind the wreck. A expert will examine the brakes, gearing and rear-end ratios, and load configuration of the big truck after the wreck to see if truck meets the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Often these trucks have electronic control modules (ECMs) that record data generated by the truck and its engine. Our firm is equipped with a team of experts who can immediately assist after a 18 wheeler accident.

Allegations of medical malpractice are common in anesthesiology because problems are common and the resulting outcome for the patient is often poor. In surgery, the anesthetic is often more dangerous to the patient than the knife. Medical indemnity premiums for anesthesiologists are usually higher than other specialties. Death can result from any problem with anesthetics because there is little room for error. When a problem occurs, the anesthesiology expert witness can opine on situations where the patient reacted poorly. These expert witnesses can testify on pediatric anesthesia, general anesthesia, spinal anesthetics, and nerve blocks.