Scientific Support for Litigation

Cambridge Environmental provides scientific support and expert testimony in cases of toxic tort, worker's compensation, liability for environmental clean-up, and cost recovery. We consult on a broad range of issues in environmental sciences and engineering, medicine, public health, and related fields.

Typically, in a toxic tort or worker's compensation action, a law firm will retain our services shortly after a suit has been filed. We have also been retained beforehand, either to help attorneys determine the scientific strengths and weaknesses of potential litigation, or to provide scientific support during settlement talks. We ordinarily conduct a scientific case analysis, which outlines (1) the chemicals or other agents of concern, (2) potential routes of exposure, (3) likely acute and chronic doses obtained by plaintiffs, (4) the potential health risks associated with those doses, (5) known, probable, and/or suspected causes of the health claims made or likely to be made, and (6) the strengths and weaknesses of arguments presented by scientific and medical experts with respect to causation. Given this foundation and our familiarity with toxic tort litigation, we can help to design technical strategies for arguing the merits of the client's case and for addressing the likely counter-arguments.