David B. Anderson, Director/Agribusiness

David has worked exclusively with consultants specializing in forensic agronomy during the investigation and legal defense of claims involving agricultural business activities.

Custom farming operations involved everything from contaminated or mislabeled chemicals during application and overspray resulting in adjacent crop losses. Investigations required crop and seed physiology, soil science, and plant nutrition including pest management. Agricultural product distribution can range from the sale of certified seed to animal feed, fertilizers and pesticides. Investigations will require the assistance of Pest Control Advisors, Qualified Pesticide Applicators Certified Crop Advisors and Veterinary Medicine and Toxicology.

David's experience involves many aspects of forensic agronomy including the investigations of crop losses that required the reconstruction of physical and chemical events leading to the crop damage. Other considerations include the evaluation of field problems associated with pest, pesticides, cultural practices and a wide range of environmental factors including GMO, genetically modified organisms. Dairy operations involving alpha toxin milk contamination due to animal feed and or medication was a common liability claim.

Insured risks include growers, packer and processors, seed companies, retail distributors, producers and formulators of pesticides, defoliants and fertilizers. Property losses involve hay stack fires due to internal combustion, lightning and vandalism as well as building and machinery losses due to fire and wind.

Mobile equipment damage involving irrigation wheel lines, pivots and field pumps are almost always due to natural causes, wind and lightning. Losses also involved heavy mobile equipment, tractors, combines and chemical tanks due to collision, fire and theft.

General Liability exposures included losses involving stray animals, (horses, cows, feeder cattle) onto highways or adjacent crops. Contamination of insured's retail products during manufacturing, shipping or distribution involves claims of e-coli of packaged foods, salmonella infested almonds and resale of row crop products requires extensive investigation. In addition, seedmans, veterinary, livestock and pollution liability are just a few of the complex claim issues. Familiarity with daily market prices world wide for exported crops, cattle and agribusiness manufactured products is essential for claims involving contamination and recall expenses.