Failure Analysis of Consumer Products
ARCCA experts have significant experience investigating matters involving a wide variety of consumer products.
Past cases include kitchen appliances, toys, plumbing fixtures, shower doors, chairs, household tools, lawnmowers, eyeglasses, home appliances, and more. ARCCA experts perform forensic investigations to determine how and why a particular product failure or injury occurred.
We also perform engineering analyses of products to determine whether any part of a product’s design, manufacturing, instructions, or use and treatment by the end user contributed to a product failure or injury. The ramifications of various product failures can include injuries and death, as well as property damage, such as fire or water losses.
Typically, a specific series of events leads to a loss or mishap. A scientific methodology analysis using the application of appropriate standards, known peer reviewed research, and scientific testing is applied during investigations to identify mechanisms of failure, and is important in both insurance coverage issues, potential subrogation claims, and litigation.
In general, a failure analysis will identify:
- Design defects that make a product inherently dangerous
- Manufacturing defects due to poor quality materials or shoddy workmanship
- Product misuse.
The findings of any defects or misuse are analyzed using the Scientific Method to construct a forensic outline of how defects or misuse may have led to failure(s) and ultimately an accident resulting in damages or injury.
ARCCA experts perform forensic investigations at any scale:
- Larger investigations such as building fires, failures of washing machines, HVAC system components, fire suppression equipment, plumbing, gas grills, swimming pools, etc.
- Smaller product investigations such as sports equipment, countertop appliances, medical devices, indoor/outdoor toys
- Handheld high power product investigations such as power tools and devices that utilize lithium-ion batteries.
See the case studies below for examples of past consumer product investigations, and reach out to us if you have a need for a consumer product failure analysis expert.
