Extreme Weather Could Mean More Business for Meteorologists Who Testify in Court
Forensic meteorologists who testify in court about past weather conditions could soon see an uptick in business.
The New York Times explains why. “Extreme weather often leads to property damage, which can evolve into legal proceedings,” the newspaper says.
Stephen Wistar, a senior forensic meteorologist for AccuWeather, testifies mostly in civil cases. He gave the Times some examples of how weather can be a legal issue.
If a city is sued because its drainage system is overwhelmed by rainfall, it could argue the amount of rain was so unusual that it couldn’t have anticipated the deluge. If a property owner is sued after a roof collapse, he could argue the amount of snow was so high it could not have been expected.
Weather can also be an issue in criminal cases. Accused killer Michael Mosley had claimed in a recent trial in Rensselaer County, N.Y., that he had a cut on his hand from snowboarding rather than stabbing two people to death. Mosley was convicted after a meteorologist who testified for the prosecution established it was raining on the day in question and there was no snow on the ground, the story says.
