Legal Aspects of Forensic Engineering Practice

Abstract

The development of the National Academy of Forensic Engineering as a new organization is an indication of forensic engineering as a recognized and important branch of engineering practice. Its growth in recent years is the logical result of the tremendous increase in litigation involving the assignment of fault in injury and property cases. This is not a new concern for engineers in private practice; for years they have been exposed to the litigation explosion, in cases involving damage to physical facilities they designed, or in which they were involved during the construction process, including more and more of the headline cases in which construction workmen are injured or killed during the construction process. Likewise, the tremendous increase in product liability cases, with million dollar awards not uncommon, have naturally led to the increased need for engineering expertise to determine what happened, why it happened, and who was at fault.