Learning Objectives
- Participants will know the difference between a conclusion that is drawn using a method grounded in scientific principles and one that involves biases, belief, and opinion.
- Participants will be familiar with several case studies that involve conclusions drawn from both scientific and unscientific methods.
- Participants will be able to evaluate scientific experts’ reports and conclusions for consistency with the scientific method
- Participants will be better at evaluating insurance claims by knowing when they or one of their experts is drawings conclusion without the existence of evidence.
Description
The scientific method was developed hundreds of years ago and is still the most accepted and sometimes required method of drawing conclusions to a reasonable degree of certainty. Our own biases and experiences can affect our ability to objectively evaluate conditions encountered in our world. The session will explore the methods of gathering evidence and evaluating observations and focus on drawing objective conclusions or determining if further investigation is required.
This course will describe the Scientific Method and present its application to insurance claims and litigation from the perspective of an expert as well as an adjuster or claims handler. Examples will be provided of what is and is not a method grounded in scientific principles and how the method used to draw conclusions affects the accuracy of the conclusion as well as its credibility in a legal setting.
Case studies will be presented with an emphasis on conditions that are, in reality, different than they appear upon initial review.
This course is not technical, and a scientific background is not required. A more detailed description of the Scientific Method and how it applies to forensics is described in one of the CNX blog posts written by John Poole, P.E.: The Scientific Method: The Backbone of Forensics – CNX Forensics and Consulting.