ARTICLES

4/29/2015· Postal Services

Can the USPS Free Delivery Confirmation Service be Used in Lieu of Certified Mail as a USPS Record of Proof of Delivery?

By: Peter Wade

Recently I have had several firms ask me if they could use USPS Form 152 instead of the more costly Certified Mail most commonly used to provide proof of receipt. The short answer is no.

4/28/2015· Life Expectancy - Life Care Planning

Life Care Planners Offer Unique And Supportive Expertise

By: Ronald T. Smolarski

THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES HOW Life Care Planners can help trust officers, relationship managers, estate planners and attorneys determine the future monetary requirements, in actual dollars, of a catastrophically disabled, pediatric or geriatric client. This can be done through the creation of a Life Care Plan for that individual's lifetime. Case histories are used to demonstrate how LCPs address the complex needs of such clients. The article concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the discipline of Life Care Planning complements the expertise of the trust officer.

4/23/2015· Failure Analysis

Weld Failure Analysis: Chair Failure Due to Inadequate Weld

By: Dr. Thomas Read

Read Consulting was asked to determine why a welded chair failed and caused injury to the person sitting in it.

4/21/2015· Construction

Contractor Fraud: Beware of Unscrupulous Contractors

By: Michael Panish

Most of the misunderstandings pertaining to contractor and homeowner relationships occur as a result of unclear or wrongly interpreted construction contracts. Upon entering into a building contract, the enthusiasm for starting the proposed work often creates a kind of glazing over or dulling of the senses on the part of the homeowner. Many times questionable terms and arrangements for payment scheduling are accepted or unknowingly agreed to as the homeowner's urgent desire to start work overshadows common sense. Often, the lowest priced contractor seduces the homeowner with promises of more value for the money.

4/16/2015· Education & Schools

Rigor Meets Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

By: Dr. Virginia Rhodes

Critical to a dynamic STEM school is a high level of instructional rigor. While this is true in all STEM schools, it is a particular challenge in those programs that serve populations inexperienced with high levels of rigor in their previous coursework.

4/14/2015· Accident Investigation & Reconstruction

Schoolbus Crossing: Safety and Security Part 1

By: Ned Einstein

In the last installment (STN, Jun, 2007), I stressed the importance of distinguishing between an actual bus stop and the waiting area across the street from it in terms of safety. But the selection of the stop and waiting area also involves concerns for student security. Sometimes, there are trade-offs that must be made. These trade-off are often complex and subtle. But they must be made correctly.

4/7/2015· Product Liability

Forensic Clues: Failure to Maintain

By: John Ryan, BSME, PE

While many accidents involving products are the result of a product defect that leads to injury of the product user, accidents can also be the result of a failure caused by lack of maintenance or inspection. This issue of Clues will examine the theory behind failure to maintain accidents, as well as provide examples of common accidents that are due to a lack of maintenance.

4/3/2015· Construction

Unfairly Blaming Tenants for Interior Mold?

By: Lonnie Haughton

Who likely should be blamed for the blackish mold growth found at this new three-bedroom, two-bath apartment in San Jose, California? Unfortunately, landlords often rush to accuse their tenants of generating too much "lifestyle moisture". In many cases, such assessments are both inaccurate and unfair.

4/2/2015· Police Practices & Procedures

Due Diligence and Eyewitness Identification

By: Roger Chappell

I have read a number of books, studies, and court cases in my career to support the fact that eyewitness identification, by itself, is never sufficient enough to send a person to prison. This is not news. Over the past 20 years, more and more people are being exonerated for violent crimes due to DNA . This article is not to rehash old arguments. Instead, it is more of a reminder to investigators everywhere to not finalize a case, charge a person, and send them to prison based solely on an eyewitness' identification.

3/26/2015· Life Expectancy - Life Care Planning

Life-Care Planners Can Offer Attorneys Unique Expertise

By: Ronald T. Smolarski

How funds are handled after the settlement of a case reflects the competency and knowledge of attorneys and recognizes their outstanding legal skills. This article focuses on the management of settlement proceeds and the maintenance aspect of the care of a client with a disability when that client's financial health is turned over to a trust attorney, relationship manager, financial planner, trust officer or estate planner.