Economics: Hedonics - Quality of Life Expert Witnesses: 4

Diane L. Damos, PhD, is an international expert with over 40 years of experience involving general Aviation Human Factors issues and Commercial Pilot Hiring. She is a fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and an associate fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association As an expert in Aviation Human Factors and as an Aviation Psychologist, Dr. Damos promotes safety in the National Airspace by working to reduce the occurrence and impact of human error in aviation systems and improve human performance. She has been involved with pilot selection since 1970.  Dr. Damos has assisted in the development of computer-based tests of information processing and cognition for pilot selection for both the United States Navy and Air Force. She has consulted with numerous domestic and foreign air carriers and training schools on both ab initio and experienced pilot selection.

Dr. Damos has also been involved with cabin crew staffing. She has conducted studies on both narrow- and wide-body aircraft to determine the number of cabin crew needed to meet an airline’s service standards. Dr. Damos was appointed to the United States National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Panel of Human Factors in Air Traffic Control Automation.

Litigation Support - Dr. Damos has worked as an expert witness for both plaintiff and defense attorneys. She specializes in calculating lost earnings for professional pilots whose flying careers have ended prematurely. She has also been involved in several mediations involving the staffing and workload of cabin crew.

Those in need of her services include attorneys litigating cases involving the death or disability of young pilots who have not yet begun their career as a Part 121 or Part 135 pilot, the death or loss of license of current Part 121 or Part 135 pilots, and insurance companies involved in compensation for Part 121 or Part 135 pilots.

Expertise:

 Selected Cases:

• A charter aircraft crashed in the mountains, killing all on board. Dr. Damos was asked to review pilots’ training records to determine if training met  minimum requirements stipulated by FAA.
• A Part 135 pilot recently interviewed unsuccessfully for a position at a regional air carrier was killed in a crash. Dr. Damos was asked to determine the likelihood of pilot being hired by another air carrier and the probable path and timeline of the pilot’s career.
• A highly qualified military pilot became disabled before being hired by an air carrier. Dr. Damos determined his likely career path and projected his life-time earnings discounted to present value. 

 View Damos Aviation Services' Consulting Profile.

• Legal Nurse Consulting
• Medical Record Review / Summary
• Case Merit Evaluation/Standards of Care
• Life Care Planning
• Mini / Preliminary Life Plans
• Medicare Set-Aside Allocations
• Expert Fact and Opinion Testimony
• Attendance at Independent Medical Exams
• Litigation Support - Formulation of Discovery Plans, Preparation of Deposition/Cross Examination Questions, Conducting Medical Expert/Opposing Life Care Planner Depositions

Ann L. Adair, PhD, specializes in Economics and has been an undergraduate and graduate professor for more than 25 years teaching micro and macroeconomics, finance, international trade, money and banking, financial markets, health care economics, and agricultural economics. She is well-versed in economic theory and the practical application of such.

Education / Training - Dr. Adair earned a BS in Agricultural Economics, an MS in Applied Economics, and a PhD in Agricultural Economics with fields in Finance and Policy. She has provided economic modeling and analysis for the USDA, Bureau of Land Management, Montana Petroleum Association, and the Montana Association of Home Builders. Her thorough understanding of economics and finance allows her to evaluate a wide variety of businesses and industries.

 Dr. Adair served as an Assistant Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and as a Research Economist at the Montana Center for Applied Economic Research. Both of these positions provided results widely to the general public and others in the field.

Litigation Support - Dr. Adair has served as a Forensic Economic Expert for over 18 years and as a research analyst for a similar time period. She has been qualified as an expert in state and federal court in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. She has evaluated more than 300 cases working for both defense and plaintiff, and has provided testimony to Governor's Task Forces on the economic impact of policy modifications and the importance of various industries with Montana.

Areas of Expertise: