Forensic electrical engineering

The ultimate goal of these investigations is often to determine the legal liability for a fire or other accident for purposes of insurance subrogation or an injury lawsuit.

Patent disputes may also require the expert opinion of an electrical engineer to advise a court.

Some states pick an arbitrary number of years for the statute of ultimate repose.

In a state with a short statute of ultimate repose, it is common that a person's right to bring a claim in court expires before their injury ever occurs.

Thus, if a defective product (for example a car) caused a collision when the steering failed, but the collision occurred after the expiration of a statute of ultimate repose, no claim could be brought against the manufacturer for selling a defective product.