Insights & Articles
Industry perspectives, case study takeaways, and practical guidance from the LaRovere Consulting team.
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: Cause and Evidence
How rechargeable lithium-ion batteries fail, why the fire leaves almost no time to react, and what an investigation has to preserve to determine the cause.
Read Article →How Gas Explosion Investigations Determine Cause
How investigators work back from the damage to the cause of a natural gas or propane explosion: fuel behavior, the odorant question, seated vs. nonseated damage, the leak path, and the ignition source.
Read Article →Condensation, Mold & HVAC Design Defects
How HVAC design defects drive condensation, mold, and water-intrusion claims — humidity control, dew point, and the building-science evidence that separates an HVAC cause from an envelope or plumbing leak.
Read Article →The First 72 Hours After a Fire or Explosion: How to Preserve Evidence and Protect Your Claim
An hour-by-hour guide for adjusters, subrogation counsel, and owners: secure the scene, notify interested parties, and preserve evidence before spoliation ends the claim.
Read Article →HVAC Subrogation: Establishing Cause & Origin
How forensic engineers establish cause and origin in HVAC subrogation claims — evidence preservation, equipment failure analysis, and the documentation insurers need to support recovery.
Read Article →5 Reasons You Need an Owner's Rep on Your Next Construction Project
What an owner's representative does, how it differs from architect construction administration, and how an owner's rep helps protect your schedule, budget, and quality from design through move-in.
Read Article →Common Plumbing Failures in Construction-Defect Cases
Supply-line leaks, drainage and venting defects, water-heater failures, and workmanship errors — the plumbing failures behind construction-defect claims and how forensic engineers establish cause.
Read Article →The Standard of Care in HVAC Commissioning
What the standard of care requires in commercial HVAC commissioning — ASHRAE Guideline 0 and functional performance testing — and how commissioning gaps become evidence in construction disputes.
Read Article →What a Mechanical Expert Report Should Contain
The anatomy of a defensible mechanical engineering expert report — Rule 26 disclosures, methodology, code analysis, and the deficiencies that get experts excluded or impeached.
Read Article →Why Commercial HVAC Systems Fail
The root causes of commercial HVAC failure that surface in litigation — design defects, installation errors, controls, commissioning gaps, and maintenance — and how a forensic engineer proves each.
Read Article →Surviving a Daubert Challenge as a Mechanical Expert
What makes a mechanical or HVAC expert opinion admissible under FRE 702 — the Daubert reliability factors, the most common grounds for exclusion, and how a licensed PE builds a defensible methodology.
Read Article →How to Retain an HVAC Expert Witness
A practical guide for attorneys: when to engage an expert, consulting vs. testifying roles, fee structures, the engagement timeline from inspection to trial, and the red flags to avoid.
Read Article →Build a Career with a Strong Future in Mechanical, Plumbing & Engineering
Demand is growing, experienced workers are retiring, and the talent shortage is working in candidates' favor. A practical look at entry points, compensation, industries hiring now, and how to advance.
Read Article →Forensic Engineering for Failed Building Systems: HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Investigations
When a building system fails, a standard inspection identifies symptoms — a forensic engineering evaluation identifies root cause, responsible parties, and remediation scope using field data, testing, and code analysis.
Read Article →What Attorneys Should Know When Hiring an HVAC Expert Witness
Credentials, Daubert considerations, and the questions every attorney should ask before retaining an HVAC expert witness for litigation.
Read Article →The Standard of Care in HVAC and Mechanical Systems: What It Means in Construction Litigation
What 'standard of care' means for HVAC and mechanical contractors in construction litigation — the standards that define it, how expert witnesses establish or refute it, and what documentation attorneys need.
Read Article →More articles coming soon.