Insurance & Legal Support

Norton & Schmidt engineers can provide a variety of legal services, including litigation support, expert witness testimony, and appraisals. Proper analysis of construction claims requires an expert-level understanding of the construction process as well as the ability to sift through the information about the project to find the answers. This ability is the essence of construction litigation support.

The principals at Norton & Schmidt not only possess an excellent understanding of the entire design, development and
construction process, they also understand the legal arena and what is needed to effectively argue a construction claim. Many of Norton & Schmidt's principals have over 30 years of design and construction experience. They can help determine what information is needed for the claim, help attorneys understand the construction issues in dispute, and prepare exhibits for trial that effectively communicate the content and importance of the technical construction information.

Our engineers have provided litigation support services for a wide variety of projects, including:

A 536-unit condominium project in Milwaukee
The construction of the Louisiana Superdome
Investigation of the 1980 Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel fire
Countless smaller and individual claims arising from such causes as incomplete or vague plans/specifications, construction defects, unforeseen conditions, and construction delays

Norton & Schmidt's engineers are also experienced at providing expert witness testimony in arbitrations and civil trials. We can provide in-depth analysis, whether for a project where we are already involved or a new project, and provide legally admissible testimony as to the facts surrounding the construction issue(s) at trial.

The appraisal process is another area where Norton & Schmidt engineers have decades of expert-level experience. In the
appraisal process, each side needs an appraiser they can trust to understand the issues and advocate for their client. The
adversarial nature of the appraisal process requires an engineer with deep knowledge of construction processes and insurance claim processes. At Norton & Schmidt our engineers can call upon a wealth of past experience to make the process run smoothly and get resolved quickly.