The Coating Chemist as Expert Witness

By Robert D. Athey, Jr

The consulting chemist may be contacted by a lawyer, insurance company, or coatings company for assistance in legal matters. Typically, the case will deal with the failure of a coating in a specified test or application, or the alleged theft of a coating formulation. In either type, the lawyers, judge, and perhaps a jury will need at least two things from the expert witness: instruction and judgement.