Honed Communication Skills for the Witness Stand
Sizing a beam, researching codes, calculating the reinforcement required for a foundation and inspecting for rot are the easy part of a Building Inspection Engineer’s job. However, being the best construction expert witness means that the engineer must be technically competent and skilled in the art of communications.
At Team Engineering, we hone our communication skills on the inspection site and in our report writing to be effective on the witness stand. We are prepared to represent our client’s interests. In some cases, that will be to convince the judge that the contractor had an obligation to build the house a certain way. At another time, it may be to convince the jury that the consumer had unreasonable expectations of their construction project and that the contractor delivered a product that met the requirements established by the Building Codes and the normal, customary practice of the industry.
Engineers: Beyond the Average Building Inspection
The thorough inspection of a property by an Engineer involves meticulous site work – accessing every aspect of the property from the building envelope to the depths of the crawl space – in order to uncover the clues to the quality of construction and materials used. Now add to this picture a host of people in attendance at many of our inspections, each with his or her own focus and questions.
The cast may include the buyer’s agent, the buyer, relatives of the buyer, contractors providing estimates or opinions, the home/building owner or seller, the seller’s agent, family members, the buyer’s kids, septic inspectors, etc. In addition to needing crowd control, the engineer must be able to understand and communicate appropriately with each individual to address all questions and concerns. This daily practice in our inspection business is great training for the courtroom setting in expert cases.
Experts Must Know How to Sell
As Expert Witnesses, the engineers at Team Engineering present their opinions with enthusiasm. Well qualified and informed, we clearly communicate our client’s case. On occasion, we even receive calls from an attorney we opposed in a previous case, asking us to work with them in their next case!
Let Us Be Your Expert Witness
Being a talented engineer is necessary, to be sure, but being an engineer that communicates well and knows how to sell is critical to successful inspections and expert projects. Let Team Engineering help you on your next construction case.
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