Large Property Loss Defense
NZA has a venerable history of investigating and defending large property loss claims. Such claims include complex fire losses, floods, warehouse and commercial losses, and mechanical and structural failures.
Our clients frequently request NZA’s involvement from the inception of a loss to investigate the scene before cleanup. At the outset, our attorneys take a creative and detailed approach to
identify potential liability and possible defenses. Our goal is the early assessment of defenses and damages, in order to provide our clients with an evaluation of the claim as soon as possible. Early investigation also ensures the preservation of evidence, secures witness statements, identifies potentially liable third parties, and protects the confidentiality of consulting expert communications.
Through years of handling these claims, we have developed close relationships with scientific, engineering, and damage valuation experts to assist in the evaluation and resolution of a loss.
Our practice is to involve the necessary experts early to assist with handling the scene and potential defense evidence. These experts provide a realistic assessment of a claim’s strengths, enabling us to collaborate with the client to determine the best course of action. By working with these experts, product manufacturers, and liability insurers, we identify and develop scene investigation protocols, document evidence preservation, and control investigation costs. Our lawyers lead the investigation and coordinate the work of the experts to determine the cause and origin of fires, explosions, mechanical failures, and structural collapses, and initiate a thorough damage valuation.
Property loss claims typically involve multiple parties, complex relationships and scenarios that must be analyzed to determine the responsible party. NZA lawyers are familiar with the causes for these claims and the issues involved, including defective products, faulty wiring, improper maintenance, construction or renovation methods, and other heating or mechanical systems failures or errors. We are also knowledgeable in the appropriate consensus standards and procedures to ensure that our retained consultants document the loss scene and identify and preserve all relevant evidence, including procedures in NFPA 921, ASTM E-620, E-678, E-860, E-1020, E-1188, and E-1459.
As seasoned trial lawyers, we have handled many large multi-party property loss lawsuits throughout the country. We have faced the most severe fire and flood liability exposures. Even if our clients face liability exposure, our strategic approach to attack the plaintiff’s claimed damages to minimize the cost of that exposure have been routinely successful. Although our trial experience brings a willingness to take any dispute to trial, we are mindful that alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation, arbitration, and other creative problem solving methods, are often the best and most cost-efficient resolution strategy.