Agreed that it has been very interesting reading. It is difficult, however, (as is often is when attorneys are involved) to tell which side is actually telling the truth ... or reporting the full story.
It appears to me that the judges decision was dictated not by the facts of the case, but by the skill of the litigators. Truly a disservice to the entire engineering profession.
Another possibility is that the judge, not being capable to follow and understand ALL of the facts, only latched onto a few facts of the case that HE considered key concepts. Consequently, the judges decision was likely based upon an incomplete understanding of all of the issues ... as presented by an attorney with no engineering background.
Cases such as these should be decided by a three member board of professional piers in the industry who are familiar with the local standard of care. Anything else will just lead to erroneous decisions.