Howard Altschule Appointed by Governor to Homeowner’s Insurance Panel

Juries want scientific proof. Good science and meaningful and understandable presentation are essential to presenting any forensic evidence. Howard Altschule and Forensic Weather Consultants provide that service with exceptional diligence and professionalism. In a recent nine year old double homicide case they gave us the proof and showed the jury exactly what it needed to debunk a fantastic story by the now convicted killer. You can’t argue with the weather. In the criminal justice system I believe we will see this proof being presented routinely.

As the challenge of getting insurance claims properly paid becomes increasingly difficult, it is really great to have in our tool kit, a meteorologist that understands what kinds of information and details we need. We have utilized Forensic Weather Consultants meteorological services on several cases that require site specific weather data and find that our claims are treated more seriously not only by the adjusters but also the experts that insurance companies increasingly rely upon.

Thanks to the report you prepared in relation to the accumulation of ice and snow in a parking lot in Queens over the course of nine hours, I was able to negotiate a settlement that surprised the hell out of me. I knew the issue of constructive notice would be a problem and feared a defendant's verdict. After jury selection and before opening remarks, I took out your report and highlighted that the controlling data came from you and the weather service and constituted unassailable evidence as to the temperature. Counsel for the commercial tenant insisted that reports from JFK controlled the issue of temperature and not your report. While arguing the point, counsel for the landlord remarked when the court inquired about you "that Howard knows his stuff and is the real deal." I pushed to have you testify and over the course of six long hours both defendants decided to sweeten the pot to induce a settlement. I can't thank you enough for your professionalism and solid reputation. You saved the day from potential disaster.