What's a "causation forensic specialist" or "forensic fire expert"?
Though most people are familiar with criminal forensics, just about any type of occupation can become a "forensic" one. There are forensic pathologists, forensic biologists, even forensic accountants. "Forensics" deals with arguing your case, whatever your expertise may be, in court. Forensic specialists are usually technically trained in physical sciences, having also become qualified through further experience and training to argue about the physical causes of fires and accidents.

In the past few years many engineering firms have ventured into the technical forensics of fire investigation because of this field's newly found popularity. Though many of these firms have been around for years engaged in various engineering or design projects, their actual expertise in investigating fires may actually be quite limited. In causation forensics, experience really does matter - and Fire & Accident Causation Technical Services (FACTS) of Florida has focused on this field full-time for over 30 years.

What's a "subrogation"?
If an appliance fails and causes a fire, or if a repairman does shoddy work and a fire results, insurance companies will occasionally demand reparation for the ensuing damages in an action known as subrogation, and they'll typically use an independent forensic specialist's report to convince the other insurance company that their insured was responsible, in a specific way, for the fire. If a hair dryer catches fire, for example, the forensic fire specialist must determine not only that the dryer caused the fire, but he must also be able to explain the technical details of how the hair dryer failed and why. Based on the report, the company which insures the hair dryer manufacturer will then be asked by the homeowner's insurance company to pay for the damages. The manufacturer's insurance company will retain its own technical expert to review the other's report and evidence; the case is then settled or argued later in court.

What about intentionally-set fires?
After an intentionally-set fire (the crime of arson) is investigated by the fire department or fire marshal, the case may or may not get the support of the district or state attorney, depending on the strength of the evidence. If it does go to criminal trial, the evidence presented to a jury must be able to overcome the "reasonable doubt" standard which applies to innocence or guilt. The conviction rate nationwide for arson-related crimes remains consistently around 2%. In contrast, occasionally a person may be wrongly accused, and in their situation an independent fire cause specialist's technical findings may be crucial for their defense.

In fires set for insurance money, there's an additional barrier for arsonists. If a fire is intentionally-set but no charges are filed or the insured otherwise escapes criminal prosecution, independent fire cause specialists often provide the insurance company with an extra safety net by determining the specifics of how the fire was started. Based on the specialist's technical report and the background information their own internal SIU (Special Investigations Unit) or private investigators provide, an insurance company may refuse to pay the insured for the losses resulting from the fire. In such a case, though, a civil trial can result and the insurance company must prove that it had reason to believe that the fire was intentionally-set for insurance fraud. Independent fire causation specialists are often involved on both sides in these cases to argue their positions.    

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