Many engineers and scientists, having achieved a reputation as authorities in their practice or research areas, are offered opportunities to provide litigation support and/or expert witness services. There are pros and cons to providing these services. The presenter will provide a basic introduction and will share his personal experiences from the perspective of the practicing or research engineer/scientist.

General information will be provided followed by specific examples drawn from the overall area of “environmental forensics”. Environmental forensics saw substantial growth following the passage of the Comprehensive Environmental Responsibilities, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) and the need to determine cost allocations at multi-party cleanup sites and to recover costs from insurance carriers.