Synopses & Reviews
This book explores these and many other related subjects. This book will be of great value to expert witnesses in liability suits resulting from flood, erosion, landslide, mudslide, or other types of natural hazard-related damage. It clearly explains the needs of an expert, the relationship of the expert to the client and the attorney, the challenges to face, and the proper orientation as an expert. Through a variety of case studies, the book illustrates investigative techniques, case and data presentation to prove "reasonableness" or "unreasonableness" of conduct and "causation."
Key Features
x Adequacy of emergency procedures for evacuation and street closures in an area designed for and designated as a retention basin
x Necessity of the purchase or condemnation of flood-threatened properties due to partial blockage of a canyon by a previous landslide
x Widsom of providing qualified and objective engineering and geologic input to the land useplanning in environmentally hazardous areas
Review
] book must be in every engineering geologist's and geotechnical engineer's library or briefcase-actually, in every one's head."
Allen Agnew, Oregon State University
Review
151;Allen Agnew, Oregon State University
Review
"Forensic Engineering will be of great value to expert witnesses."
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
"Practicing engineers and geologists will find the case histories very helpful to their work. The book may also serve as a reference book for advanced courses in geotechnical engineering."
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
"Professional engineering geologists and civil engineers should read Forensic Engineering...It is an excellent account of the challenges and opportunities of serving as an expert witness in litigation involving environmental-type failures and hazards....A more important audience for [the] book, however, is our students-who will be entering professional practice....I hope that [the authors' voices] will continue to be heard at colleges and universities...[This] book must be in every engineering geologist's and geotechnical engineer's library or briefcase-actually, in every one's head."
Allen Agnew, Oregon State University
Synopsis
This book explores these and many other related subjects. This book will be of great value to expert witnesses in liability suits resulting from flood, erosion, landslide, mudslide, or other types of natural hazard-related damage. It clearly explains the needs of an expert, the relationship of the expert to the client and the attorney, the challenges to face, and the proper orientation as an expert. Through a variety of case studies, the book illustrates investigative techniques, case and data presentation to prove "reasonableness" or "unreasonableness" of conduct and "causation."
Key Features
* Adequacy of emergency procedures for evacuation and street closures in an area designed for and designated as a retention basin
* Necessity of the purchase or condemnation of flood-threatened properties due to partial blockage of a canyon by a previous landslide
* Widsom of providing qualified and objective engineering and geologic input to the land use planning in environmentally hazardous areas
Synopsis
The expert witness, whether uninitiated or veteran, must be prepared to deal with the inevitable confrontations inherent in the judicial process. Forensic Engineering represents a comprehensive overview of this rapidly growing field, emphasizing the professional, ethical, and societal issues stemming from the investigatory and litigation processes, including
* the complexities of proof
* the relationship of the expert with the client and attorney
* the concepts of negligence and reasonableness
Case histories of environmetally related failures and disasters serve to illustrate the complexities of the issues involved, especially
* investigative techniques for site analysis
* foreseeability of damage
* generally accepted standards of conduct
Anyone involved in engineering-related litigation, including land planners, environmental specialists, hydrogeologists, public administrators, and attorneys, will find a wealth of practical information within these pages.
Synopsis
s, environmental specialists, hydrogeologists, public administrators, and attorneys, will find a wealth of practical information within these pages.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 281-289) and index.
Table of Contents
Forensic Investigations: A Growth Industry. Introduction to Case Histories. Malibu Landslide: Massive Litigation. Utah Landslide: Rural Slides Can Be Devastating, Too. Abalone Cove Landslide: Mitigation Instead of Litigation. Flooding within a Flood Plain while the Sun Was Shining. Flooding Outside a Flood Plain: Was It Really a Flood? Fire-Flood Sequence: A Deadly Combination. Land Subsidence on a Large Scale: Dire Consequences. River Morphology: Mining versus Agriculture. An Overview. Glossary. References. Index.