Technical expertise for insurers and assessors
Forensic failure analyses and technical due diligence for insurance companies, expert witnesses and lawyers – standards-based per VDI 3822, transparently documented, usable in proceedings of any kind.
VDI 3822 Forensic failure analysis Technical Due Diligence Court-proof expert reports Independent assessment Liability clarification
CHALLENGE
Technical causes of damage are rarely clear-cut, yet they have to be identified quickly.
- Damage has occurred, but the technical cause and the responsibility are disputed.
- A plant or operation is to be assessed – condition, risks and remaining service life have to be quantified.
- The opposing party’s existing expert report is technically vulnerable – an independent second opinion is needed.
- An M&A process requires robust technical risk statements on plants, materials and maintenance backlogs.
Ongoing proceedings or an urgent expert report assignment?
SERVICES
Two core services – precisely tailored to your requirements
Forensic failure analysis
Systematic root cause determination in technical damage cases – in terms of materials, mechanics and operation. Clear attribution of causes of damage and recommendations for action to prevent recurrence.
- Fracture surface analysis, metallography, SEM/EDX
- Root cause determination: fatigue, corrosion, overload, material defects
- Standards-based documentation per VDI 3822
- Court-proof expert reports for insurance and liability proceedings
- Second opinion on the opposing party’s existing expert reports
Technical Due Diligence
Comprehensive technical due diligence of plants, operations and production sites – as a basis for investment decisions, insurance assessments and regulatory proceedings.
- Document review: maintenance history, test records, specifications
- Site inspections and plant condition assessment
- Materials and failure analyses on critical components
- Capacity, safety and service life assessments
- Cost estimates for maintenance and modernization
CLIENTS
Who we work for.
SUB-SECTOR EXPERTISE
A complete technical due diligence covers six dimensions
Inspection and assessment of the actual plant condition – wear, corrosion, damage, maintenance backlogs. Prioritization by safety and cost relevance.
Review of maintenance history, test records, certificates and specifications for completeness, plausibility and standards compliance.
Laboratory analysis of critical components for material defects, damage mechanisms and deviations from specifications.
Estimation of safe remaining service lives for critical systems and assessment of the actual operating capacity against design values.
Systematic identification of technical risks, assessment of the probability of occurrence and damage impact, derivation of action priorities.
Quantified estimate of maintenance needs, modernization costs and necessary investments – as a basis for purchase price negotiations.
PROJECT REFERENCES (ANONYMIZED)
From practice – assignments from insurers, law firms and investors
Forensic analysis after a leak with production downtime. Stress corrosion cracking as the primary cause, manufacturer’s responsibility established.
→ Recourse claim of €2.4 million successfully enforced
Full TDD review prior to a company acquisition: plant condition, remaining service life of boilers and turbine components, maintenance backlogs.
→ Purchase price reduction of €4.1 million negotiated on the basis of technical findings
Technical review of an existing expert report from the opposing party. Methodological flaws and incorrect cause attribution established.
→ Counter-report led to the discontinuation of the proceedings
COLLABORATION
From assignment to court-proof report – our process
Clarification of the question at hand, the procedural context and the requirements regarding documentation and deadlines.
Securing and documenting the damaged object or plant object – complete, traceable, chain of custody.
Materials, mechanical and operational investigations – in the laboratory or directly on site at the plant.
Cause attribution, risk assessment and derivation of recommendations for action based on standards-based criteria.
Standards-based final report per VDI 3822 – court-proof, fully documented, delivered on time.
WHY TECHNICAL CENTER
What insurers, law firms and investors expect from us – and get
All reports are structured per VDI 3822, with full traceability – usable in civil, arbitration and administrative proceedings.
No ties to manufacturers, operators or insurers. We assess exclusively on the basis of technical facts – without economic conflicts of interest.
Damage in energy, petrochemicals, mechanical and plant engineering, vehicle construction, medical technology – we know the materials and damage mechanisms of all relevant industrial sectors.
Our experts have decades of experience in preparing technical expert reports for insurers and courts.
No specific assignment yet, but a need to clarify scope or approach?
TYPICAL OCCASIONS
When we are commissioned – by target group
INSURERS & EXPERT WITNESSES
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Clarification of the technical cause of damage for a settlement decision
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Recourse review: was there a manufacturer or material defect?
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Second opinion on an existing expert report from the opposing party
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Assessment of warranty claims in the event of component failure
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Quantification of the damage and consequential costs through technical analysis
INVESTORS, M&A & OPERATORS
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Technical Due Diligence prior to a company purchase or acquisition
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Independent plant assessment for financing decisions
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Risk classification for underwriting and insurance premiums
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Assessment of maintenance backlogs as a purchase price argument
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Technical expert report for regulatory approval procedures
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
