During 2017, and already in early 2018, the United States once again saw some massive, catastrophic under-construction, wood-framed apartment complex fires. Are these fires getting larger and more frequent? Must this trend continue? According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in their report titled “NFPA’s Home Structure Fires Report” (Updated 11/17), in almost four...Read More

One of the most iconic images of Superstorm Sandy’s wrath has been the collapsed tower crane atop the under-construction One57 Building, a 74-story tower located at 157 West 57th Street in Manhattan. When we think of the hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage from severe storms over the past couple of decades alone,...Read More

On March 15 at 1:47 p.m. Florida International University’s (FIU) $14.2 million UniversityCity pedestrian bridge suddenly collapsed killing 6 people and seriously injuring 10 others, crushing vehicles below, and requiring days to clear the scene. As originally proposed, the bridge was touted as a stunning architectural showpiece and its rapid construction method touted as efficient,...Read More

The Boston Globe, on Thursday, March 5, 2015, reported officials said 231 buildings have collapsed or suffered serious damage so far this season due to heavy ice and snow loads. A total of fifteen collapses were reported on March 5 alone. Why so many? And, what careful considerations should be made upon inspecting the damage and...Read More

Welcome to Part 1 of our blog on identifying and correcting potential causes flood damage and water damage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the number two cause of property damage claims, second only to wind and hail claims, is water damage related claims. Water damage claims total in the billions of dollars every year....Read More

Flood damage or water damage can occur from any number of sources, any time of the year, and a small leak can become catastrophic instantaneously.Read More

Whether it’s strength of materials testing, metallurgy, thermodynamics, or physical chemistry, the advancement of materials science and engineering is critical to our better understanding of how and why materials fail, our improved ability to forensically examine and test physical evidence, and our furthered capacity to furnish verifiable proof that can withstand even the most rigorous...Read More

This is a very well written article published by PropertyCasualty360.com and it addresses many of the most important aspects that counsel should be looking for when selecting and interviewing a potential expert witness. It also addresses one of the most common issues litigators face which is the fear of using the same specific witness on...Read More

This is good news as better codes will help protect life and property. As the attached article published by PropertyCasualty360 points out, just this past November the state of Mississippi implemented its first statewide building code, Texas held hearings to examine its coastal codes, and although the 2014 building code legislation did not pass in...Read More

Very interesting aspects to this case: 1) the plaintiff’s expert applied “total cost” methodology vs. “measured mile” (expert did not err in this per judge), 2) the judge found that the subcontractor-plaintiff suffered an “increased workforce” under a “compressed schedule”, 3) judge listed both design problems and project mismanagement as grounds for loss-of-productivity damages, and...Read More

This is what can happen when a co-defendant rides along on the coat-tails of the primary defendant’s expert. In the event that the primary defendant settles out or is dismissed from the case, the co-defendant may not be allowed to utilize the services or prior testimony of the primary defendant’s expert if stricken. Chess match...Read More