Construction Expert Witness Describes Possible Construction Defects

Construction sites and buildings completed are sometimes riddled with defects. This may depend greatly on the design created for the project or the materials purchased by the owner or agency. If a batch of the bricks or wood have defective parts, these could lead to a full complication. However, sometimes the defects may solidify in the building and only later lead to crumbling floors, ceilings and broken walls. If the design is the issue, this could lead to a full-scale complication that may cause injuries or death. The initial design could have support beams in the wrong place, part of the floor with weak or little support and various other issues that may collapse areas or the whole building.

Defective Resources

Some of the most important problems that arise with defective resources is the purchase of inferior materials. If the bricks have more

holes or crumble with little force, this often harms others after or during construction. Cement mix or wooden constructed floors with cracks or brittle properties may lend little support for the beams and walls. Ceilings with these same issues fall in and damage the floors below. Beams without the proper connection to the walls and floors may smash through and land on a person or an object that traps or injures a resident. Roofs without the appropriate material to keep the weather out may collapse or lead to water and snow damage.

Defects in products are a central concern when building anything with manufactured parts. If everything comes from one company or plant, it is easier to determine who is responsible for the defects. However, when a construction company uses multiple entities to supply a project, the expert may need to track each ingredient in the mix and try to find the true culprit for acquiring damages to the victim of the incident. Any plaintiff may need to identify the appropriate perpetrator of the accident before continuing through with the claim. Working with an expert, this is possible.

A Construction Expert Witness Explained

When the construction expert needs to describe any possible construction defects that exist in the project, he or she will need to prove credentials for admissible testimony and qualified and designated classification as an expert in the courtroom. This is usually possible based on his or her experience in the field, educational background in construction matters or through work in the subject. These professionals often have extensive understanding of the industry, defective issues and guidelines. These may include protocols for safety and the codes necessary to ensure the building and project are valid and in line with local regulations. Compliance and delays may also require research or understanding to explain them to the average person without any knowledge in this area of study.

Through his or her experience in the construction field, the expert witness may have more resources in determining if a defect exists in the project. However, it is usually only after injuries occur that a defective part or design is apparent in the building. This often initiates a claim where the plaintiff needs the services of the expert to prove that the defendant did cause the problem. Then it is important to claim compensation for recovery from the incident. Through an intensive and time-consuming investigation, the expert may discover the defect and how it caused the actual injuries to the individual or group.

Construction Expert’s Testimony in the Defect Case

The construction expert may need to create a report of his or her findings and various details of the claim. Through processes and scientific methods, he or she may determine what specifically lead to and caused the injuries. Then, he or she may form an opinion that presented to the courtroom may explain sufficient information about why the defendant is responsible for the defective issues.

It is with charm and confidence in his or her knowledge of the subject matter that the expert witness’ testimony is given weight by the judge or jury. His or her words may explain details about what happened, why the defects exist and how they relate directly to the injuries.

Provided by HG.org

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer.