When Medical Implants Fail: A Forensic Engineer’s View

When a medical implant works as intended, it can be life-changing. A hip that allows someone to walk pain-free again. A shoulder that lets them lift a grandchild. But when an implant fails, the story changes to pain, repeat surgeries, and sometimes years spent in a courtroom. That’s where failure...

Polymers Under Pressure: Why Plastics Fail More Often Than People Think

Plastics are everywhere now. They’ve replaced metals, wood, and a long list of other materials over the last couple of decades. The shift makes sense because polymers are light, inexpensive, and easy to shape. But they also fail more often than people expect; and when they do, the problem usually...

Overhead Door Failure Investigation: How a Simple Installation Mistake Nearly Caused a Serious Warehouse Accident

When you work in facilities that depend on large mechanical systems, even minor installation errors can lead to major safety risks. In one recent case I investigated, a missing bolt on a warehouse overhead door nearly caused a serious injury. What Happened: A Forklift Operator, a Stuck Door, and a...

When Fire Doesn’t Mean Failure: How Forensic Engineers Determine Survivability

“Total loss” isn’t a diagnosis—it’s a conclusion. In fire claims, I’m often asked to determine whether a building or system truly failed, or whether it can be safely repaired and returned to service. That determination hinges on survivability: did the structure or component experience heat, flame...

Generator Fires: Beyond Carbon Monoxide Risks

When most people think of generator hazards, carbon monoxide poisoning is the first concern. And for good reason. Improper use in enclosed spaces has caused countless tragedies. But as a forensic engineer, I’m often called when something more tangible and destructive has occurred: fire. Generators...

When Rain Turns to Flood: Identifying External Causes with Forensic Expertise

Forensic Engineering Perspectives on Urban Flooding and Public Systems When a home or business floods during a rain event, the cause may be found inside or outside of the property line. While privately owned drainage elements such as French drains and sewer laterals are common culprits, this blog...

Why Towers Fall: An Engineer’s Perspective

Prior to my career as a Consulting Engineer at EDT, I worked for over a decade in the telecommunications industry where I performed structural engineering work and inspections services. In this role, I traveled all over the country and worked on thousands of cellular and broadcast towers which gave...

When Sprinklers Cause the Flood: What Really Happens When Fire Suppression Systems Fail

When people picture a sprinkler system activating, they imagine it saving property from a fire. What they don’t imagine is coming home from the holidays to find a ceiling collapsed and water pouring through the floor, courtesy of the sprinkler system itself. But that’s exactly what happened...

When Hydronic Heat Stops Circulating: A Residential HVAC Failure Investigation

When a homeowner loses heat in the middle of winter, the problem can sometimes escalate beyond inconvenience, and it can even be catastrophic. I previously investigated a case in the New England area where a frozen hydronic heating system led to extensive water damage throughout a rental home. The...

When Water Treatment Goes Wrong: A Commercial HVAC Investigation

In commercial buildings, HVAC systems are often complex networks of boilers, valves, and chemical treatment systems that have to work in perfect balance. When even one small component fails, the effects can ripple throughout an entire facility. I was called to investigate an incident at a hospital...

From Dog Food Plants to Float Tanks: Unusual Moisture Intrusion Cases Explained

Many moisture claims start a similar way: “We’ve got water where it shouldn’t be. Must be the roof.” Sometimes it is. Often, it isn’t. Water has more than one way to become a problem in a building. In addition to wind-driven rain and plumbing leaks, I’m frequently called to losses where the culprit...

Quirky but Costly: How Rodents, Hoarding, and Manure Lead to Fires

A common assumption is that house fires start from obvious hazards, such as faulty wiring, unattended cooking, or heating equipment too close to combustibles. But in my work as a forensic engineer, I’ve seen that sometimes the culprits are far stranger. Rodents building nests inside HVAC units...