Damage Prevention Conference & Exposition

Hear how fair enforcement has proven to be effective in reducing damages and see how investigation techniques – including commonly used terms, like "excavation" - are used in real case studies.

December 9, 2008
8:00 AM	Update 2008: New and Proposed Damage Prevention Legislation & Regulation Walt Kelly, Damage Prevention Consultant Walt Kelly Enterprises, Inc. Hear about the latest changes and proposals to state and federal laws and regulations as they relate to damage prevention!
9:15 AM	How to Get Legislation Passed Larry Fortin, and Ken Jones, Gas Pipeline Engineer Public Utilities Commission of Nevada Learn from panelists who have been successful in getting legislation passed within their states. Hear how they wrote the legislation and gathered the support of call centers, excavators, and facility operators to get their legislators to pass the bills.
2:15 PM	Case Study of a Gas Explosion: Was it Excavation? Susan Satkowski, Attorney, Lavin, O’Neil, Ricci, Cedrone & DiSipio Walt Kelly, Damage Prevention Consultant, Walt Kelly Enterprises Case study of how heavy construction equipment sitting above ground can damage underground facilities. Based on a real incident, we will discuss whether damage prevention laws should be applied to work other than strict soil-moving excavation and the economic and legal implications of such an extension of the law.
December 10, 2008
10:45 AM	Enforcement Using Conciliation Court in Minnesota Dan Munthe, State Pipeline Safety Inspector Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety When a party in an enforcement action decides to fight the citation, it can cost thousands of dollars to decide the citation in formal hearings. Hear how contested Minnesota enforcement actions are successfully taken to Conciliation (Small Claims) Court at only a fraction of the cost.
1:15 PM	WINNING YOUR CASE: The Keys to Successfully Investigating and Documenting Your Claim Tony Jorgenson, Attorney, Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson P.C. Jim Proszek, Shareholder, Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson P.C. Mark Pollick, P.C. Winning your case begins on the day of the incident. Learn the keys to successfully investigating and documenting a damage claim and put those keys into action in an interactive case study in this session from trial attorneys and expert witnesses who pursue and defend utility damage claims. Then see the results of that investigation at a mock trial in which you the audience participates in questioning the witnesses and acting as the jury to decide the case in "YOU THE JURY: Trial of a Utility Damage Claim."
2:30 PM	YOU THE JURY: Trial of a Utility Damage Claim Tony Jorgenson, Attorney, Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson P.C. Walt Kelly, Damage Prevention Consultant, Walt Kelly Enterprises, Inc. Mark Pollick, P.C. Jim Proszek, Shareholder, Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson P.C. Susan Satkowski, Attorney, Lavin, O’Neil, Ricci, Cedrone & DiSipio Participate in the mock trial of a presented by trial attorneys and expert witnesses who pursue and defend utility damage claims. Hear the opening statements and the the witnesses’ testimony. Cross-examination the witnesses along with the attorneys. Then you be the jury and decide who wins and loses. The trial will be based on the facts developed in the interactive case study in the session "WINNING YOUR CASE: The Keys to Successfully Investigating and Documenting Your Claim."

* Schedule subject to change.