Federal Rules of Evidence state that: "If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise."
Dr. Mason’s knowledge of statistics qualifies him as expert witness for a wide range of cases. He has broad experience as an expert witness, providing testimony, both deposition and in court, on topics from the rates for different categories for insurance to the accuracy of paternity testing. Statistical and data questions can often form an inherent part of evidence. For instance, demographic data fundamental to a civil-rights case may be readily available but can require expert data management skills to process the data into a useable form. The following is a list, by no means complete, of areas requiring expert knowledge of statistics:
- Statistical analysis of insurance rates and claim payouts
- Statistical analyses of employment discrimination claims
- Statistical research on the advisability of class certification;
- Evaluation of claims of lost earnings damages arising from employment discrimination claims;
Expert witnesses are of fundamental importance to a wide range of civil and criminal cases. A 1998 Federal Judicial Survey noted, “The two most common problems cited by judges were experts who were not objective and the excessive expense of expert testimony.” Mason Statistical Consulting avoids these problems through constant professionalism, objectivity, and reasonable pricing.
