LEGAL AFFAIRS SECTION
Oct 1, 2007

U.S. Evidence Laws and Their Influence on Mold Litigation Outcomes

Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 133, Issue 4

Abstract

The architectural/engineering/construction (AEC) industry has been inundated with disputes concerning excessive mold growth that arose from improper construction or maintenance of the built environment. Despite scientific evidence that shows that exposure to so-called toxic molds does not produce illness, costly legal disputes arise. This paper focuses on instances in which the outcome of mold lawsuits hinged on the jurisdiction where a claim is filed, because of differing expert witness testimony standards. A basic understanding of the implementation of U.S. evidence laws in federal and state courts is presented, select mold dispute cases from varying jurisdictions are summarized, and conclusions are drawn regarding the dispute-resolution trends in this area.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

Fridman, D. S., and Janoe, J. S. (1997). The state of judicial gatekeeping in New Jersey, The Judicial Gatekeeping Project, Teaneck, N.J.
Graham, M. H. (2000). “The expert witness predicament: Determining ‘reliable’ under the gatekeeping test of Daubert, Kumho, and proposed amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.” University of Miami L Rev, 54(317).
Hoffman. (1994). “A briefcase and an opinion: Post-‘Daubert’ expert testimony—A major shift.” Product Safety and Liability Reporter, 22(379).
Jhaveri, K. (1999). “Judicial gatekeeping in the United States: A historical perspective.” The judge’s role as gatekeeper: Responsibilities and powers, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, ed., Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Mass.
Mazier, E. E., et al. (2005). “Decisions.” The New Jersey Lawyer, 14(30).
Miltenberg, N. (2001). “Out of the fire and into the frying pan of back to the future.” ⟨Expertpages.com⟩.
Segel, A. J. (2000). “Setting limits on judicial scientific, technical, and other specialized fact-finding in the new millennium.” Cornell Law Rev., 80(167).
Smith, W. C. (2000). “No escape from science.” ABA Journal, 86(60).
Sward, E. (2003). “A history of the civil trial in the United States.” Kansas Law Review, 51(347).
White, N. (2006). “Toxic mold case in California settles for $22 million.” The legal ledger, St. Paul, Minn.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 133Issue 4October 2007
Pages: 352 - 357

History

Received: May 3, 2006
Accepted: Jul 11, 2007
Published online: Oct 1, 2007
Published in print: Oct 2007

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Linda Thomas-Mobley, Ph.D. [email protected]
J.D.
Associate Professor and Associate Director of Building Construction, College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0680. E-mail: [email protected]

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share