Experts have got to know the process they take part in – that’s a given. They’ve got to be on their toes when investigating and reporting to the dispute resolution process on the cause of personal injury and failure in the built environment.
In this regard, I thought to provide the following list of books, legal papers and postings while blogging on animation. Animation is a useful technique in forensic work but one that is difficult to understand and explain. It’s also susceptible to misuse, both accidentally and deliberately. (see Appendix) There’s other difficult areas of forensic work besides animation. Good literature helps with these difficulties.
The list is not exhaustive but a good start. I will add to it over time.
I can’t say enough about the SEAK, Inc. books on writing reports and avoiding mistakes. Also, anything by Ruth M. Corbin is good – she writes well for readership at the interface between law and other fields; nice to see in a lawyer. The item on demonstrative evidence by Troy Lehmon is very good. It was recommended by an expert in traffic accident animation.
Recommended Reading for Experts
- Mangraviti, Jr., James J., Babitsky, Steven and Donovan, Nadine Nasser, How to Write An Expert Witness Report, 2014 2nd ed., SEAK, Inc., Falmouth, MA A 560 page, 8.5″ x 11″ massive tomb that should be on every person’s shelf who might be called as an expert. The book is based on what the authors have learned reviewing cases and training thousands of experts over more than 30 years. I’ve taken two of their courses and they’re good.
- Babitsky, Steven, Mangraviti, Jr., James J., The Biggest Mistakes Expert Witnesses Make and How to Avoid Them, 2008 SEAK, Inc., Falmouth, MA There are a lot of mistakes! Get the book and count them. This one should also be on every one’s shelf.
- Stockwood Q.C., Civil Litigation, A Practical Handbook, 5th ed., 2004 Thomson Carswell Toronto I found this an excellent text on the civil litigation process – a must-read for all experts. Note that it went to a 5th edition before the chap died prematurely in his 50s.
- Corbin, Ruth M., Chair, Corbin Partners Inc. and Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall School, Toronto, Breaking the Expert Evidence Logjam: Experts Weigh In, presented at Expert Witness Forum East, Toronto, February, 2018 (Google it) An excellent read!
- How experts are helping break the expert evidence logjam. Posted April 30, 2018
- Capurso (1998), Timonthy J., How Judges Judge: Theories on Judicial Decision Making, University of Baltimore Law Forum Vol. 29: No. 1, Article 2 Some ways are not impressive.
- Lehmon, Troy, Demonstrative Evidence, March 25, 2013, Oatley Vigmond, Personal Injury Law Firm, Ontario This paper is very informative, a good read for experts. thttps://oatleyvigmond.com/demonstrative-evidence/
- Experts: The only objective party in the judicial process. Posted April 21, 2020
Appendix
- Animation in Forensic Work: Use and Misuse. Posted January 12, 2022
- Telling it like it is, in forensic expert report writing. Posted January 27, 2022
- What did we get from a good talk on animation in forensic work? Posted February 27, 2022
(Posted by Eric E. Jorden, M.Sc., P.Eng. Consulting Professional Engineer, Forensic Engineer, Geotechnology Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, March 31, 2022. ejorden@eastlink.ca)