Expert Witness Blog

In What Fire Scene Responders Need to Know in Tough Economic Times (Part 2), fire expert witness and Principal of Pyrocop Inc., Robert Rowe writes:

For example, Maine State Fire Marshall John Dean told the Maine Public Broadcasting Network last month that he expects that the recession will continue to fuel the arson rate as more and more people face a loss of their property or find it difficult to pay their bills. These trends become more evident with the recent increase in gas prices and the realization by desperate owners of “gas guzzling” vehicles that arson may be the only way to relieve their financial burden.

Additionally, there is the failing business. During adverse economic conditions, arson involving businesses becomes a hopeless but viable option for those business owners who are experiencing a profit loss to “shore up” an otherwise dismal month-end balance sheet.

In Is it Fabricated?, document examination expert witness Ronald N. Morris writes on what material can be on a copy in addition to the material on the original. “Copies may include toner reproduction of scratches, trash, dirt, etc., found on the glass or drum.”

…b. Even if a number of these qualities and features are present in the copy, it cannot be concluded that the copied document contained an originally written signature. Document fabrication, complete with the addition of signatures extracted from other documents, is relative easy to accomplish.

c. Writing features found in the original document paper stock, such as indentations or indented outlines of letters and words, the disturbance of paper fibers due to mechanical abrasive erasure or the use of liquid solvents or eradicators, insertion of a number or letter using a different ink, etc., are not exactly reproduced during the copying process.

In MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, NOT JUST ABOUT GEARS, structural failure expert witness Philip J. O’Keefe, PE, MLE, writes:

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest of engineering disciplines. It encompasses a broad number of disciplines, from physics to materials science, including:

Fluid Mechanics: The study of the force, pressure, and energy of stationary and moving fluids. Fluid mechanics also includes the study of aerodynamics.

In MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, NOT JUST ABOUT GEARS, structural fatigue expert witness Philip J. O’Keefe, PE, MLE, writes:

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest of engineering disciplines. It encompasses a broad number of disciplines, from physics to materials science, and includes:

Strength of Materials: The study of the properties of materials along with the geometry and sizing of structural components, structures, and machine parts to prevent failure.

In MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, NOT JUST ABOUT GEARS, structural safety expert witness Philip J. O’Keefe, PE, MLE, writes:

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest of engineering disciplines. It encompasses a broad number of disciplines, from physics to materials science, but it can be summarized as being derived from ten core areas:

1. Statics: The study of how forces are transmitted to and through stationary objects.

The Society of Professional Engineers writes on Forensic Engineers:

How and when does a Civil Engineer become a Forensic Engineer, or require the services of a Forensic Engineer? What does a Forensic Engineer do, and, what makes the Civil Engineer different to a Forensic Engineer engaged to investigate a civil engineering matter? The term Forensic Engineer is a relatively new one and too one not frequently used by those very people who are practicing Forensic Engineers! A more familiar description is Expert Witness. How do you distinguish between a Forensic Engineer and an Expert Witness? What is a Forensic Engineer? This paper attempts to differentiate between these roles, while at the same time defining what a Forensic Engineer is, and the manner, processes and techniques that he/she has to use. The paper is not intended to describe in detail the specific processes, (typically accident reconstruction, 3D modelling etc) but it does identify the legal processes and implications that the Forensic Engineer should take on when accepting instructions on a particular matter. The paper also provides examples of these processes and the implications they hold for the engineering community as a whole in a litigious society. The paper does not attempt to discuss any differences between the numerous engineering disciplines (civil, structural, mechanical et.al.); the same principles apply to all.

For more, see http://www.professionalengineers-uk.org/index.htm

A common principle utilized in establishing the cause of failure of a structure or product is reverse engineering. This is a process forensic engineering expert witnesses understand and frequently undertake, possibly under the guise of a different name, e.g. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA).

What appears an obvious methodology to many engineers is not always adhered to and frequently overlooked, but does require a disciplined analytical approach. The scientific method of determining the cause of such an incident requires the Forensic Engineer to:

* State the problem * Carry out numerous observations * Formulate an hypotheses as to the cause * Carry out any testing considered necessary * Analyse the results * Draw a conclusion