How Independent Fire and SIU Investigations Can Inform Fire Claim Decisions

Key Takeaways

Through this article, insurance professionals will find out how:

• Independent fire and SIU investigation processes can help auto and property adjusters make confident fire claim determinations
• Fire and SIU investigations provide crucial yet distinct information regarding fire-related losses
• Insurance professionals navigate complementary, independent SIU and forensic fire investigations

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Adjusters handling vehicle and structural fire claims may need more than one investigative approach to make confident determinations.

Determining the origin and cause of a fire and investigating overall claim details further are distinct skill sets that may require the help of fire investigators and an SIU team.

What’s the Difference Between the Fire and SIU Investigation Process?

The difference between a forensic fire investigation and an SIU investigation is the expert’s core focus.

Certified fire investigators aim to determine the most plausible origin and cause of a fire. Fire investigations adhere to the scientific method and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines regardless of the structure or vehicle type. Their process begins with documenting the scene and identifying fire patterns, fire dynamics, and physical artifacts. They then identify and analyze all the evidence to make their determinations.

Fire investigators may preserve evidence at the scene and provide recommended next steps, such as joint investigations with engineers or product failure testing.

Adjusters handling vehicle fire claims should seek an origin and cause investigation from certified fire investigators to help ensure they know what initiated the fire.

Meanwhile, SIU teams investigate and document claim facts, including fire losses, in other ways by legally and ethically obtaining claimant or property history, documenting social media activity, or gathering additional details that an adjuster may use to make an informed claim determination. They may also evaluate leads or tips for relevance and credibility and determine whether the available information warrants further inquiry.

SIU investigation processes might include:

• Interviewing claimants, witnesses, or other relevant parties
• Documenting or examining a loss location for claim-related information within the SIU scope
• Legally and ethically obtaining relevant documentation from public record databases
• Performing a medical canvass when relevant to the facts or claimed injuries associated with the loss

Fire and SIU experts may conduct complementary, independent investigations at an adjuster’s request. Or an SIU investigation may be a follow-up tool for insurance professionals after the fire’s origin and cause is determined.

Why Would an Adjuster Seek Independent Fire-Related Investigations for a Single Claim?

Property and auto adjusters could seek independent fire and SIU investigations if they want to investigate further following a fire investigation or want to validate claim details in other ways.

An origin and cause investigation is typically needed for fires. However, an SIU team can investigate and document additional claim facts if the adjuster identifies inconsistencies or the fire investigation report includes details that may suggest a fire was incendiary.

For instance, a policyholder filing an auto or property claim could report a fire was accidental, but the origin and cause investigation findings may state there was evidence of incendiary devices. This could suggest additional evidence-gathering is needed from a licensed SIU team that has the expertise to review property or vehicle history via image, public record, or other database searches. An SIU team could also conduct social media investigations in line with legislation, ethical standards, and industry protocols.

Property fire claims could warrant a forensic fire investigation and an SIU investigation. Adjusters can review both reports together for a better understanding of what might have happened.

What Leads to a High-Quality Independent Fire and SIU Investigation Process?

For the best chance of high-quality independent fire-related investigations, insurance professionals can establish pre-investigation protocols that apply regardless of claim type.

This includes adhering to best practices, such as the carrier creating a coordination agreement that details specialist scope and offers guidance for coordinating scene access. Such measures help ensure investigations don’t inadvertently overlap or lead to evidence contamination.

Having protocols in place before receiving a fire claim also provides a roadmap for properly maintaining and documenting evidence, particularly physical evidence. Each investigative professional is responsible for maintaining and preserving their investigative documentation in accordance with applicable procedures, legal requirements, and carrier guidelines.

During the forensic fire investigation and SIU investigation process, each specialist should abide by their industry’s standards and best practices, maintaining separate files and records. This helps build an objective and defensible investigation and reduce the possibility of cross-contamination of evidence handling, miscommunication among interested parties, or any other situations that may call expert opinions into question.

The adjuster handling the claim serves as the main point of contact, keeping the investigative teams aligned without compromising their independent processes.

When both disciplines need to conduct interviews, separate interviews may be appropriate because fire investigators and SIU investigators often have different scopes and lines of questioning. Information obtained through those interviews can later be compared for consistency when relevant.

When appropriate to their respective scopes, fire and SIU investigators may conduct interviews separately so each specialist can pursue the lines of questioning relevant to their investigation.

The adjuster should consider the expert opinions when making a claim decision once the investigations have been completed and they have both reports in hand.

Alpine Intel delivers innovative insurance solutions through trusted brands, including National Fire Experts (NFE), a top provider of fire origin and cause investigations, and VRC Investigations, a leading national provider and single-source solution for investigative, SIU, and regulatory compliance needs. NFE and VRC’s experts provide objective, independent investigations, delivering confidence in every claim. Submit an assignment today.

National Fire Experts performs work in Indiana under Donan Engineering, LLC license PI20700047.

Alpine Intel’s content is meant to inform and educate readers using general terms and descriptions. They do not replace expert evaluations that determine facts and details related to each unique claim.