Prepare for any legal action you may face. Know what the attorneys know. Experience and expertise make this item a must for rising companies and individuals. The book's format is unique. A synopsis of each chapter is available at the beginning of that chapter. The book covers codes and regulations, equipment descriptions, statistics, possible accident causes, the legal process and expert opinion. Chapter Five in particular discusses probably the most important and first simple question: Is there sufficient grounds to continue?

Too often the elevator expert is called long after legal action has begun, making the expert testimony more one of creating sense out of confusion. The expert opinion should be a preliminary action. Hopefully, you nor your company will ever have the "need" to use this book, but it would still behoove you to read it, especially if you are ever in any type of legal action regarding elevators or escalators. Learning what expert witnesses and attorneys consider essential to proper legal action in any incident is well worth reading.

Elevator and Escalator Accident Reconstruction and Litigation is the product of several elevator people and attorneys, James Filippone, Joel D. Feldman, Ronald D. Schloss and David A. Cooper. All of these individuals have been involved in the investigation of a myriad of accidents and .:the subsequent legal actions that often take place. . Once it has been determined that there are reasonable grounds to continue with legal action, the investigation or ~discovery" process begins.

Most of the elevator industry knows the complexity of trying to cover the diversity of equipment and applications that exist. Actual site visits, whether vintage or new, almost always contain surprises. Participants usually find themselves reaching for Electric Elevators by Fred Hymans, Jallings' Elevators by John H. Jallings or the EIevator World Educational Package and Reference library (4-Volume Set) to confirm vintage code compliance. Once the discovery phase is over, depositions have been recorded and reference research accomplished, the next important step is to commit these findings to paper. This report will summarize the findings of the expert and should possibly contain a probable cause.

Before any finalizing of this report, an in-depth discussion with the attorney should take place. A sample of such a report is found in REVIEWS Following Chapter Y is a glossary of legal terms used in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Interestingly, although a reference is made to the word "expert," there is no indication of what qualifications an "expert" should have. However, the biographical sketches provide some idea of the qualifications for an expert since these men are a group of diverse and highly qualified "experts."

Filippone is with the Port Authority of New York 8: New Jersey and an active participant on many ASME A17 committees. Feldman is a practicing attorney in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey for many elevator and escalator cases. Schloss, who writes the Forensic Elevatoring column for EW, has an elevator industry career spanning 40 years and serves as a professional witness for elevator and escalator litigation. Cooper is a consulting engineer specializing in vertical transportation and a veteran from the "lift" industry in the U.K. Cooper provided expertise on the aspect of lift" litigation in the U.K. and also serves as an expert witness.

While most of us would not consider a book something to reach for in an emergency, Elevator and Escalator Accident Reconstruction and Litigation is just that. It takes you through the long and tedious process of litigation in a beneficial and knowledgeable as well as understandable way.

This resource for legal practitioners and other interested parties provides guidance for accident reconstruction and litigation related to devices such as elevators and escalators. Written by a team of engineers and attorneys, it explains the basic operation of this type of equipment and outlines some potential dangers. Also described are the processes for determining the causes of an accident and some successful litigation procedures. While aimed primarily at users in the U.S., much of the material may also be applicable in Canada and in the UK because of similarities in the code requirements. An extensive glossary of technical terms used in the industry is found at the back of the volume.