IS AN APPRAISAL A LEGAL DOCUMENT?
Yes! An appraisal by a qualified appraiser can act as a legal document in insurance settlements, divorces, estate proceedings and other matters involving personal property.

WHAT ABOUT THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE?
The IRS requires verifiable documentation on the value of property donated to a non-profit organization. An appraisal in accordance with IRS regulations and guidelines provides you with the information needed to document your donation. Obtaining Insurance
A current appraisal is required for many insurance policies covering fine art, silver, decorative arts, and jewelry. An appraisal updated on a regular basis establishes the accurate replacement value of your personal property and protects you from financial losses caused by theft, fire and flood.

More to come from: http://rareart.net/index.html

1) Many areas of expertise might be satisfied by a range of disciplines.

Depending on the circumstance and the investigatory aims, fire cause and origin investigations may call for scientists, engineers, or skilled technicians in the building trades. Similarly, a given mold issue may be resolved by a medical toxicologist, general physician, environmental or occupational health expert, architectural engineer, or general contractor.

2) The only way to know for sure what areas of expertise an expert has is to speak with them.

No profile or resume is capable of summing up a lifetime’s professional experience. It is always beneficial to let us put you in touch with experts whose unique understanding and experience might favorably impact the outcome of your case by illuminating the technical issues involved.

For more, go to http://www.forensisgroup.com/

An appraiser uses a variety of tools: reference works, online electronic databases, and historical documents; and may consult with additional specialists in the field. Based on the analysis of the research, the appraiser produces an appraisal report detailing the appropriate valuation of your personal property.

It is best to get an appraisal before you need one. You will need an appraisal for:

Informed Buying
Considering the purchase of an expensive items such as a painting or antique? An appraisal can assist you in making an informed purchase.

Estate Planning
An up-to-date appraisal attached to your will reassures your heirs, lawyers, and accountants and will save you money and assist in avoiding unpleasantness.

Obtaining Insurance
A current appraisal is required for many insurance policies covering fine art, silver, decorative arts, and jewelry. An appraisal updated on a regular basis establishes the accurate replacement value of your personal property and protects you from financial losses caused by theft, fire and flood.

More to come from: http://rareart.net/index.html

For more, see http://www.eckstine.net/

An appraiser uses a variety of tools: reference works, online electronic databases, and historical documents; and may consult with additional specialists in the field. Based on the analysis of the research, the appraiser produces an appraisal report detailing the appropriate valuation of your personal property.

It is best to get an appraisal before you need one. You will need an appraisal for:

Donations and Gifts - An appraisal allows you to knowledgeably plan your gifts and donations. In some cases a qualified appraisal is required for tax and other purposes.

Determining Your Net Worth
You may need to know your exact net worth in order to meet a business or investment need. The appraised value of your personal property - art, antiques, furniture, etc., - increases your total net worth through accurate documentation.

Division of Property
Your personal property may require division due to dissolution of marriage, bankruptcy or death. A current appraisal provides you with the necessary information and documentation to assure equitable distribution.

More to come from: http://rareart.net/index.html

Prepare discovery requests;
Prepare other witnesses and clients for their depositions;
Provide answers to discovery;
Support & oppose summary judgments.

aircraft accident reconstruction expert witnesses
aviation training expert witnesses
aviation accident analysis expert witnesses
aviation security expert witnesses
air traffic control expert witnesses
aircraft accident investigation expert witnesses
aircraft contract manufacturing expert witnesses
aircraft design expert witnesses

As much as possible, the experts should be instructed to avoid contact with each other to ensure that one will not "contaminate" the other(s).

1. Have the accident reconstruction expert witnesses compete and select the stronger one to testify at trial

2. Designate both as trial experts but keep one in reserve

3. Keep one expert as a consultant for testing untried theories

The title, Metallurgical Failure Analysis, aptly describes the process, i.e., the analysis of a metal failure. In deference to my mechanical engineering friends, a metallurgist or metallurgical engineer is best equipped to analyze a metal failure. An accident or failure of a metal component, whether it is a simple consumer product such as a hammer or chisel, or a complex multi-component machine such as an airplane or a space shuttle, will normally not be a "simple" failure. Failures are normally complex. Often two, three or more separate but necessary circumstances or events are required to cause the failure or accident. Solving such a complex problem is much like solving a multi-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Guessing about a jigsaw puzzle picture from one or two puzzle pieces will usually lead you to a wrong conclusion. Guessing prematurely from one or two "facts" about the cause of a failure or accident will also usually lead to a wrong conclusion. A series of accident events and evidence will usually fit exactly with another set of events and evidence thereby allowing more of the true picture to be revealed.

A metallurgist's analysis of a metal failure may include many of the following: accident scene/site examination and documentation (including photo documentation), evidence preservation, library/standards/literature review, laboratory examination and testing, exemplar testing, engineering calculations, data and file analysis and synthesis, report preparation and expert witness testimony.

Metallurgical Failure Analysis is a scientific process in which a cracked or fractured piece or weld is analyzed to determine the cause of failure. The metallurgical failure analysis process involves cutting samples from fractured or cracked samples, conducting a microscopic examination of the fracture or crack, cutting, mounting and polishing samples for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), microstructural examination, microhardness testing and profiling, chemical analysis, etc. The goal of the process is usually to ascertain why the component cracked or fractured, i.e., causation of the crack or failure.

Maritime accidents of all stripes — great and small — occur in a wide range of circumstances and conditions. The common thread that is usually found in the proper investigation and analysis of these accidents is not a sudden or mysterious failure of a system or item of equipment. Nor is it the lack of a properly functioning system or item of equipment. With the exception of product/vessel defects, the common cause of most maritime accidents are aspects of human error and human factors. The most crucial of these are:

maintaining a proper lookout,
observing a safe speed,
preserving night vision,
following the maritime Rules of the Road,
adhering to proper right-of-way rules,
the timely interpretation of aural and visual data, and
maintaining a situational awareness.

In order for a vessel operator to successfully and safely perform such vessel operation tasks, he / she must possess and use normal aspects of memory, visual acuity, aural function, and human cognition. These are the most basic and important requirements of human performance in the various maritime operating environments.

It is common knowledge that premises owners are not the insurers or guarantors of their invitees' safety. The duty imposed on them is to provide a safe and secure environment, and to provide reasonable care.

This duty is achieved by requiring premises owners and operators to develop and implement policies, procedures, and protocols that will either prevent or deter what is reasonably foreseeable.

Operational practices, including policies, procedures, and protocols that might be reasonable for one business or location might not be adequate for others.