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A second-generation fire investigator with over 31 years of experience in fire investigation for the insurance industry, Expert trained primarily under the direction of a former Tennessee State Fire Marshal/Certified Fire Investigator. Registered nationally as a Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator (C.F.E.I.) through the National Association of Fire Investigation (N.A.F.I.) as well as a Certified Fire Investigator Instructor (C.F.I.I.) and Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (C.V.F.I.) through N.A.F.I.

Expert is also a Certified Fire Investigator (C.F.I.) and (CFI-V) through the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI). Is registered multiple times with the National Board for Fire Service Professional Qualifications (ProBoard) as a Certified Fire Investigator and is a graduate of both the National Fire Academy and the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Fire Marshal Academy. He is also a Certified ASE technician in reference to automobiles and light trucks. He has testified as an expert witness in both state and federal criminal and civil courts in various states. Expert has 21 years as a self-employed fire investigator trading with a fire analysis consulting group in the State of Virginia.

He has conducted/investigated approximately 4200 fire scenes throughout his 31-year career as a fire investigator with approximately 1500 of those fires involving vehicles and heavy equipment. He has extensive training and experience with vehicle fires to complex and large loss examinations that have included Commercial, Industrial and Residential fire losses including auto, heavy equipment, live oil well fires, CSST/gas line fires, restaurant fires, suppression hoods and systems, stoves and appliances, water heaters and furnaces, gas fires, electrical fires, fireplace fires, product liability fires, explosions, heating fires, arson fires, subrogation related fires and accidental fires.

Served as an Evidence Technician for SEA out of Tampa office and as an Evidence Technician 2 years and a Certified Fire Investigator for Southern Fire Analysis for 29 years and has been a Private Investigator in the State of Virginia since 1998. Personally, investigated thousands of fires throughout the States of Tennessee, Virginia, Delaware, New York, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, California. Wyoming, Kansas, Florida, and Colorado ranging from vehicle fires to complex and large loss examinations that have included Commercial, Industrial and Residential fire losses of all sizes and types including auto, heavy equipment, semi-trucks and trailers, boats and personal watercraft, live oil well fires, CSST/gas line fires, restaurant fires, suppression hoods and systems, stoves and appliances, water heaters and furnaces, gas fires, electrical fires, fireplace fires, product liability fires, explosions, heating fires, arson fires, subrogation related fires and accidental fires. Has investigated approximately 4200 fire scenes to date and of those approximately 1700 have involved vehicles, heavy equipment, etc.

CFI/CFEI/CFII/CVFI

1997 - Successful defense and recovery on 540,000 home owners claim against a major insurance company which showed instead of the fire being Arson the actual cause of the fire was accidental caused by a bagel left unattended in the toaster.

2006 – Recovered $145,000 from Volvo Motors for a vehicle fire that caused damage to a garage. This case was settled after an initial demand of $165,000 was made. After Volvo’s representatives reviewed only the report generated by F.A.C.G., Volvo agreed to pay $145,000 on the strength of the report alone.

2008 –Successful recovery for Amica Insurance of claim against an RV manufacture for design defect. Manufacture settled claim on report alone from FACG without proceeding to trial.

2009 – Responsible for recall on behalf of Hopewell, Virginia Public School system through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of over 4,500 Vision Blue Bird school buses for risk of fire from throughout Virginia and across the United States

2011 – Successfully defended our client in the largest payout for a single vehicle fire not involving an accident with burn injuries in U.S. history. A jury returned a “not guilty” verdict for our client after only one hour of deliberation, saving our client $20 million dollars as well as a recovery of $1.3 million dollars in attorney fees.

2011 – Investigated car fire case with new VW Passat. After the joint examination with VW and review of our evidence presented, VW agreed to take full responsibility for the fire, paid the claim and took possession of the vehicle for transport back to their factory.

2012 –Successful recovery of $22,000 for Selective Insurance and recovered $22,000 for fire damage to a rescue squad.

2013 –Successful recovery of $250,000 for Countryway Insurance from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mack and contractor for damage caused to a single-family dwelling due to foreclosure repairs.

2015 – Selective Insurance Company – settled in favor of the insurance company.

2015 – FCCI Insurance Group vs. Auto Owners – fire involving ten vehicles located at an auto auction in Richmond Va. Fire damage to all ten vehicles was extensive. However, due to FACG’s tireless investigation the fire was narrowed down to the subject vehicle, 2003 Jaguar, that had experienced an electrical fault in the power supply wire for the battery located in the trunk. Subrogation was obtained through the strength of FACG’s investigation without the need of deposition or court.

2017 – Successful recovery on 2010 Subaru Forrester for an electrical fire in dash attributed to the manufacturing defect settled in our clients favor on strength of report alone.

**Many more consulting examples are available upon request.