Category: Articles, Automotive/Trucking, Business & Commerce, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Transportation The New Transportation Broker Law - Map 21 An Analysis for Attorneys TASA ID: 2109 Source: LoadTraining.com - Broker Training InstituteMany motor carrier accidents involve a dispatch by a transportation broker. The broker’s usual position in the event of an accident is “to run away” from responsibility, thinking incorrectly, that they are not liable. However; If any of the broker’s actions in the act of transportation, are normally, actions reserved, in common practice, to a motor carrier, the Broker may be held to strict liability, in that transportation event. Read more
Category: Articles, Crop Management/Agriculture, Food Safety and Production, Resources for Attorneys Cases Written By An Expert TASA ID: 646 In the three case summaries presented below, I was hired through TASA to provide my expertise in each case regarding crop management/agriculture. I’ve been a TASA expert witness going on 25 years. Beyond submitting reports, I’ve been depositioned twice but have never had to testify in court. Read more
Category: Articles, Chemicals / Toxic Substances, Medical & Healthcare, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Toxicology OVERVIEW OF BENZENE TOXICITY TASA ID: 1351 I. Background InformationBenzene is a clear, colorless liquid at ambient temperatures. Benzene has a relatively high vapor pressure and thus evaporates quickly into the air. The odor threshold for benzene has been reported as 12 parts per million. Benzene occurs naturally in crude oil and is widely used in industry as a raw material for the production of other organic chemicals. Most gasolines sold in this country contain between one and two percent benzene (World Health Organization, 1993; ACGIH, 2001; Bruckner, et al., 2008). Benzene is present in most outdoor and indoor environments. Most benzene exposures to the general public are associated with the use of gasoline powered vehicles and other equipment. Benzene is also found in some consumer products and is present in main stream and side stream tobacco smoke (Wallace, 1996). Read more
Category: Articles, Computer/Internet, Crime Investigation, Handwriting Examination, Medical & Healthcare, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Security, Toxicology “Who Wrote That Email?” Forensic Authorship Attribution and Stylometry TASA ID: 3949 Some cases hinge on the authorship of a document. Whether we want to know about the author of a defamatory email, the source of a ransom note, or the authenticity of a will, one of the most important pieces of evidence is the one that establishes who wrote it. Historically, most documents were handwritten and handwriting experts (today they go by the title “forensic document examiners”) could determine who wrote something from the slant of an f or the height of a t. Even with typewritten documents, they could notice a chipped p or an out-of-line c and identify the specific typewriter that created the document. Physical creation also produces physical variance. Read more
Category: Articles, Business & Commerce, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts DEFAMATION TOP 10 Guiding Principles of Negative Communications That Result In Image and Reputation Damage TASA ID: 2156 In its simplest definition, defamation is defined as “the action of damaging the good reputation of someone.” Defamation results from some form of negative communications, whether written (libel) or verbal (slander). Negative communications are extremely powerful and in most instances, difficult to counter or overcome – mainly because of human nature and psychology. When some person, business or entity is defamed, there are factors that come into play that generally are irreversible. To fully understand how defamation impacts the image and reputation of the recipient, it is important to know some guiding principles of negative communications: Read more
