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British Petroleum expert witnesses will testify before U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in an effort to lower the possible $13.7B fine as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP hopes to prove the damage was not as devastating as originally projected. Dr. John W. Tunnell Jr., marine biology expert at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, will testify regarding the spill’s impact on fish, shellfish and birds in the Gulf of Mexico. The marine biology expert witness is Associate Director and Endowed Chair of Biodiversity and Conservation Science.

The Harte Research Institute website explains that the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout was unprecedented not only because of the volume of oil that leaked from the well but also the location wehre the oil was escaping was almost a mile beneath the Gulf’s surface, “creating problems with which responders had never before been confronted….”

During all previous spills the oil rose to the surface and drifted with the wind so modern oil spill response equipment and techniques have been designed to deal with that scenario. However, in the case of Deepwater Horizon, plumes of oil drifted with currents at various depths, settled to the bottom or dispersed throughout the water column making the use of skimmer ships, floating booms and controlled burns less effective.

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An automotive engineering expert witness testified this week in the federal lawsuit two Minnesota families brought against Toyota. While the Koua Fong Lee and the Trice-Adams families argue that a defect with Lee’s Camry caused a deadly crash in 2006, Toyota says the accelerator pedal shows it was pushed down during the crash and that Lee mistook the brake for the accelerator.

Older model Toyotas were not included in the carmaker’s massive recall after sudden acceleration problems. Toyota was fined $1.2 billion in 2014 by the Justice Department after prosecutors said Toyota’s tried to conceal the problem of sudden acceleration in its vehicles. The case will go to the jury next week.

The National Transportation Safety Board is offering a new course for Legal Professionals, NTSB Investigations: What Legal Professionals Need to Know, to be held March 5-6, 2015, at the NTSB’s Training Center in Ashburn, Va.

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Psychologist and child abuse expert witness Dr. William L Carter testified in the Waco, TX, case against Sergio Bezerra. The former Waco Baptist Academy teacher was convicted of abusing two students in 2008 and was sentenced to 80 years in prison. Four young women testified that Bezerra molested them. Dr. Carter did not evaluate the victims but described how the abuser brings victims into abuse, many times starting with favoritism.

Protocols involved in a Child Sexual Abuse Forensic Interview are discussed on the Forensic Pediatrics Experts – Child Abuse & Child Safety website:

General Protocols Child Forensic Interview Expert Analysis Components An objective assessment of a forensic interview involving a child who reports sexual abuse is a prudent component of quality improvement and assuring proper procedures were followed. A poor interview does not discount the possibility of sexual abuse. However, the format and process of the forensic interview have been developed to minimize leading questions and ensure as accurate a history as possible.

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In When is a Handwriting Expert Not a Handwriting Expert? handwriting expert witness Dennis Ryan of Applied Forensics, LLC, writes:

A handwriting expert is not a handwriting expert when they are called on to examine aspects of a document that do not require a handwriting examination. Most handwriting experts are actually Forensic Document Examiners (FDE’s). The expertise of a Forensic Document Examiner goes well beyond the examination and comparison of signatures, hand-printed or handwritten items.

The Forensic Document Examiner (Handwriting Expert) can examine documents to determine if they are forged. For example, our FDEs have examined documents associated with a vintage automobile sale. The documents that were produced in the sale of the automobile were the window sticker, the bill of sale and other related documents. The price of the automobile was increased by a hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) when these documents were used in the sale of the automobile. Our examiners determined that the documents were fraudulent because they were produced using a color laser printer/copier. The documents appeared artificially aged.

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Food safety expert witnesses may consult on food borne illnesses, food handling, restaurant industry standards, and food poisoning. This week Bidart Bros. expanded an apple recall to include all granny smith and galas shipped from its Shafter, Calif., facility after two strains of Listeria monocytogenes were confirmed in the apple processing plant. The bacteria are believed to be the same ones associated with the 2014 outbreak that killed seven people and sickened many more. The recall first targeted packaged caramel-coated apples but the recall has been broadened to all shipments of Bidart Bros. Granny Smith and Gala apples.

On 1/10/15 CDC.gov posted:

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in several states and with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections (listeriosis) linked to commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples. Listeria can cause a serious, life-threatening illness.

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In Ten Lessons Learned From the Sandy Hook School Shootings, school security expert witness Ken Trump, MPA, President of National School Safety and Security Services writes:

Our team’s analysis of the Sandy Hook Final Report released by the Connecticut State’s Attorney continues with 10 key lessons learned for school security and emergency preparedness. While additional details may be revealed in forthcoming documents from the Connecticut State Police, 10 important lessons from Sandy Hook have emerged based upon the final report, information shared with us by individuals involved with the incident, and other published reports:

6. Assess physical security at each school due to unique designs and issues. The classrooms where children and staff died at Sandy Hook had connecting doors in the walls. Restrooms inside the classrooms helped as places for young children to lockdown. Each school district is unique and schools within each district are unique, requiring building-specific assessments and actions as appropriate to identify strengths and areas of concern.

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Explosions expert witnesses may consult regarding explosives, flammable materials, combustion, and related matters. In the news, fireworks manufacturer Entertainment Fireworks has been fined following a fatal explosion in June 2014. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries investigated the accident and concluded that safety violations and improper training contributed to the explosion which killed one worker and injured two more.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives website contains detailed safety precautions in the use and storage of explosives.

Explosives Safety and Security Federal explosives law and regulations provide requirements and standards for the secure storage of explosives materials. To maximize the effects of regulatory compliance, the following voluntary suggestions, developed in partnership with the International Makers of Explosives (IME) and the International Society of Explosives Engineers, may serve as a helpful guide for securing explosive materials.

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In First Aid Teams, emergency preparedness expert witness Michael J. Ryan, principal at First Aid Depot, asks the question, “Does your organization need a First Aid Team?”

Training is only part of the First Aid Team question. Now that your associates have received the training they need the right tools. The right tools include all the equipment discussed in the First Aid and CPR/AED programs. These could include face-masks with one-way valves to eliminate direct mouth-to-mouth contact, triangular bandages for bandaging and splinting, and portable first aid kit(s) to be carried to the emergency stocked with the unique supplies for your work place emergencies.

Once your First Aid Teams are trained, in place, and equipped with the proper tools, they need to be managed. This can be accomplished in several ways. A self governing Safety Committee can oversee the First Aid Teams activities as well as scheduling coverage, checking supplies, and future retraining needs. The human resources department may take an active role in the First Aid Team; after all, it involves the employers’ associates caring for other associates. Human resources may be better able to deal with wellness issues. Depending on the size of your facility, the facilities manager may be best suited to manage the First Aid Team(s).

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Accident investigation expert witness Travis Webster testified in the case against 19 year old James Crosby in the death of Kathy Lattimore, 67, and Derek Nichols, 20. Crosby was found guilty of manslaughter in the December 31, 2013 Newfield, NY, crash. Webster, a New York state investigator, calculated that Crosby was driving over 84 mph when he hit the victims vehicle. Crosby was found guilty of manslaughter as well as second-degree assault, third-degree assault and reckless driving in the fatal crash.

The prosecution described Crosby’s driving as reckless while defense attorney Joseph Joch said freezing temperatures may have caused icy conditions when Crosby’s car crossed into the opposing lane. Eye witnesses testified that they saw Crosby passing other cars at high speeds on windy roads that night.

Accident investigation experts take into consideration collision analysis, collision speeds, skidmark analysis, and speed determinations, as well as related issues.

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Child abuse expert witness Jill G. Jones-Soderman, Ph.D., MSHS, has been in the private practice of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis for over 35 years. Her work involves the study of the violation of civil rights and confidentiality in various provinces of the court system with particular emphasis on family courts throughout the country. On her website, she explains how whistleblowers serve a purpose in the judicial system.

For over a century, whistleblowing has been a vital element in the checks and balances of American political and economic life, exposing corruption and illegality in the system, too frequently overlooked or suppressed by official authorities. Idealistic insiders who come across evidence of foul practices in business, politics, the military, in non-profits and religious organizations, and in the judicial system must have platforms where they can air their grievances and expose corruption to the public. Whistleblowers are often shunned by their colleagues, are retaliated against by their institutions, and even have their lives threatened.

Famous American whistleblowers include Karen Silkwood, Jeff Wigand, Ida Tarbell, Frank Serpico and Daniel Ellsberg, who each made significant contributions to American society through their dramatic whistleblowing actions. Currently www.uswhistleblower.org has articles posted about malfeasance in various family courts and child protection agencies, articles about the NFL cover-up about head injuries to players, and even about animal rights issues.

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