Expert Witnessing
Expert witnessing has two broad categories including fact witness, which is based on our research, and material witness, which is based on us being at the scene. Expert material witnessing (including 30b6 - “Person Most Knowledgeable”) is based on historical research of risk management and product liability, environmental liability, fact-finding and historical information. We have testified in over 50 federal and state court cases and have delivered depositions in over 300 cases. Our experts have testified on the following topics:
- Maritime and Aircraft Engineering History
- Government Specifications & Standards, Policies, Procedures, Practices and Doctrine
- Government Purchasing and Contracting Practices and Procedures
- Government Practices and Procedures for Safety and Industrial Health
Product Liability
To determine if a client’s product was present, and/or establish alternative sources of potential exposure or assist in development of a government contractor defense, our research and analyst teams examine the following types of documents:
- Correspondence and Reports
- Specifications and Standards
- Ship, Aircraft, Machinery, and Building Plans
- Maps and Charts
- Still and Motion Pictures...
Fact-finding Historical Research
Finding all of the documents that are relevant to your specific project is neither intuitive nor straightforward, even for an experienced researcher. The indices of these archives are based on filing systems that have not been used for decades. Learning how to locate files containing the most important relevant documents for a case takes training and experience. However, locating and retrieving relevant documents is less than half what it takes to harness the power of historical research...
Environmental Liability
McCaffery & Associates has located historical documents to assist attorneys defending a client in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site cost allocation negotiations. The development of historical background relating to the source of contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and other toxic chemicals that persist in the environment from shipbuilding and ship repair activities required detailed research into materials used in these businesses.
Patent Research
Railroad Right-of-Way and Track Maps with Surveyor's Notes
McCaffery and Associates, Inc., researches historical railroad right-of-way and track maps, station maps, and future track maps with accompanying surveyor’s notes from the records of the Interstate Commerce Commission and its predecessors. These railroad maps and notes detail the ownership of adjacent parcels of land and track notes for mileage posts, grade, utility crossings, at-grade road crossings and similar information. Other related documents include decisions of the Surface Transportation Board regarding intermittent trail use or abandonment of sections of railroad tracks and rights-of-way. These documents are found at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
Historic Buildings: Cape Lookout Lighthouse
The National Park Service requested McCaffery & Associates, Inc., to locate the original plans and photographs for the Cape Lookout Lighthouse in North Carolina as part of a centennial celebration of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. In addition to the original plans and correspondence regarding this historic lighthouse, details regarding the Fresnel lens that magnified the light of the kerosene lantern to illuminate the lighthouse were provided. Records of the United States Lighthouse Establishment at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland, and the Library of Congress were researched for this project.
Harbor Defense Project
A client interested in potential reclamation of copper cables requested McCaffery & Associates, Inc., to research underwater magnetic detection cable loops placed in the harbors of United States ports during World War II. The purpose of these cable loops was to detect the passage of submerged submarines or other unauthorized vessels into ports. At the end of World War II hostilities, these cables were abandoned. Photographs, plans and correspondence regarding these harbor defense system underwater cables were located in the records of the Department of the Navy at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
Arkansas Historic Preservation Program
McCaffery & Associates, Inc., researched the historic roads of Arkansas as part of the bicentennial celebration for the state. Records of the Office of Chief of Engineers were researched and yielded survey notes and map index cards from the late 18th century into the early 19th century. This research was conducted at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.
USS Midway Museum Command Histories
To assist the USS Midway Museum curator with accurate documentation of the history of the ship, McCaffery & Associates, Inc., researched the Command Histories of the USS Midway from its commissioning in 1945 through 1988. This set of histories also included the decommissioning documents from 1992. These documents were found at the United States Navy History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C.
Essequibo River, British Guyana Research
To answer a client’s question about the depth of the Essequibo River in British Guyana during World War II, McCaffery & Associates, Inc., researched the records of the U.S. Navy’s Hydrographic Office. Charts of the waterway, a base map of U.S. Naval Air Station British Guyana and documents regarding this base were located. These records were found at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
Superfund Site Research
A law firm representing a small shipyard requested McCaffery & Associates, Inc., to research the U.S. Navy and U.S. Maritime Administration ships that were built and repaired from World War II through the Korean War to determine the types of materials used for these ships. The focus of this research was to determine the source of environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxic materials that are persistent in the environment. Marine hull bottom paint used on the exterior of ships, interior paints, chlorinated solvents, acid (aka pickling) baths, hydraulic fluids and cutting oils were included in the research that was conducted at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland, United States Navy History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C.; and the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Aerial Photograph Research of Historic European Battlefields
A British film director who produced a documentary of World War II battles requested McCaffery & Associates, Inc., to locate aerial photographs of Normandy and Okinawa. These photographs were found at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
Military Training Films Research
Various clients have requested historic military training films on topics such as asbestos handling, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, welding, submarine launching, and aircraft maintenance procedures. These records are available at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
Military Specifications and Qualified Products Lists
Many of our clients who represent manufacturers of products sold to the government ask us to provide documentation of Military Specifications, Federal Specifications or Navy Department Specifications, and the associated Qualified Products Lists. These specifications, along with other government procurement policy documents, demonstrate the level of control exerted by the United States government in the manufacturing of products, most notably the types of materials to be used. These documents are available at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland and the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Maritime Industry Trade Press
McCaffery & Associates, Inc., has researched various trade periodicals for clients who are involved in the building or repairing of ships or ship equipment and machinery. Trade periodicals provide articles describing shipbuilding and repair industry activity going back to the 1940s and identify the manufacturers of equipment and materials used in their construction and repair. These periodicals are available at the Library of Congress and Department of Transportation Library, both located in Washington, D.C.
Military Base Maps
Base maps of United States Navy, Army, and Air Force activities have been researched for numerous clients who wish to identify sources of toxic materials used in constructing buildings. These records are at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland and other document repositories.
Nantucket Lightship (LV 112)
The United States Lightship Museum, owner of the Nantucket Lightship (LV 112), requested plans for this vessel to assist with renovations. McCaffery & Associates, Inc., located general arrangement, plumbing and electrical plans of this National Historic Landmark lightship, which is being overhauled at Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina in East Boston, Massachusetts. Lightship Nantucket was the name given to the series of lightvessels that marked the hazardous Nantucket Shoals south of Nantucket Island until a large navigational buoy was put in its place in 1983. The LV 112 plans were found in the records of the U.S. Coast Guard and its predecessor agencies at the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland.
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We provide self-authenticating copies of the documents that we locate. Contact us now for your research.
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