HIGH-TECH INVESTIGATORS

Rough Notes, Oct 2005 by Boone, Elisabeth

Cutting-edge science makes EFI Global "the CSI of the insurance industry''

The American public has cast aside its addiction to reality TV and replaced it with a similar addiction to watching people solve complex crimes. Although a number of shows have captured the imagination, CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), has achieved hegemony in the current ratings war.

Although they don't appear on TV, the highly trained specialists at Kingwood, Texas-based EFI Global use many of the same techniques as their fictional counterparts to link cause and effect. Whether it's a natural catastrophe like a hurricane or tornado ... an environmental disaster like an oil spill or toxic chemical leak ... a fire, explosion, or building collapse ... EFI Global reports promptly to the scene and begins the painstaking process of assembling clues and analyzing evidence to find out exactly what happened and why. Because many of the investigations EFI Global conducts focus on insurance-related losses, the firm is popularly known as "the CSI of the insurance industry."

EFI Global provides engineering, fire investigation, environmental, and specialty and consulting services to commercial, industrial, institutional, insurance, government, and public and private entities. Formerly known as Engineering and Fire Investigations, the company changed its name to EFI Global, Inc., in January 2005 to reflect its expanded operations and ability to provide services worldwide.

For more than 30 years, the team at EFI Global has provided practical solutions to complex problems for clients in a variety of industries. The company's staff of more than 300 persons includes trained and professional certified engineers, scientists, and fire investigators who operate from 26 service centers around the country.

"The driving force behind our company's growth and success is our people," says Ron Holt, president and CEO of EFI Global. "Our experts incorporate the highest integrity, character, and quality in the business into everything we do. Our commitment remains strong to work as a team and to continually meet and exceed our clients' expectations."

EFI Global provides services in five key areas:

Engineering services. The firm's engineering professionals handle projects in mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, automotive, chemical, metallurgical, and geological engineering and other disciplines. Engineers' work encompasses scene examination, documenting and collecting evidence, working with government agencies, coordinating internal/external resources, and making accurate and defendable appraisals of what has occurred.

Environmental services. The environmental division handles projects associated with real property, such as site assessments, investigations, and remediation; brownfield and site redevelopment; regulatory compliance; petroleum management; industrial hygiene; indoor air quality and mold consulting; asbestos and lead management; and wetlands and biological services.

Fire investigation services. The company investigates several thousand fire and explosion incidents annually. If the evidence remains, documentation and analysis allow for recognition of potential liabilities, subrogation, risk exposures, and incendiary causes. Investigators are qualified in origin and cause investigations, and they receive mandatory ongoing training related to fire investigation, insurance, and legal issues.

Accident reconstruction and animation. The company offers a variety of engineering services in the field of transportation crash reconstruction and forensic analysis. Team members conduct field investigations, consult, and provide expert testimony in biomechanical analysis, crash reconstruction, and failure analysis.

Laboratory services. Technical laboratories staffed by experienced microbiologists test for recognized species of mold, fungi, and bacteria. Chemists offer a range of chemical testing services, specializing in forensic analysis such as fire debris analysis and analytical chemistry. Services also include a metallurgical laboratory and field chemistry.

Support for insurers

Of particular value to the insurance community is EFI Global's work in evaluating damage caused by natural catastrophes, investigating fire and accident scenes, and conducting failure analysis. During the record hurricane season of 2004, the firm's structural engineering team and indoor air quality and mold scientists supported catastrophe adjusters in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and the Caribbean. Assignments included evaluating wind and flood damage, assessing the structural integrity of buildings, providing repair details, monitoring reconstruction work, laboratory analysis, and on-site monitoring.

EFI Global engineers also uncover and present evidence to help insurers subrogate successfully against manufacturers and maintenance facilities. One case concerned a vehicle with more than 167,000 miles on the odometer that was involved in a fire that damaged a surrounding structure. EFI Global's mechanical failure analysis identified the specific aftermarket vehicle component that caused the fire. The engineers also identified the specific design deficiency that resulted in a favorable verdict on behalf of an insurer that was subrogating against the vehicle's manufacturer.