Presenter: Glennon Fogarty

This session will present a roadmap to courts’ use of NFPA 921, Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations. The methods utilized by investigators, insurance companies, engineers, and other professionals to identify, collect, preserve, and test artifacts are routinely at issue. Over 50 court decisions since January 2010 have cited NFPA 921. The implications of failing to properly preserve evidence are significant, as such conduct may result in the exclusion of crucial evidence, an “adverse inference” ruling against the party engaging in spoliation, or even subject a party to tort liability. This PowerPoint presentation and lecture will discuss real-life applications of NFPA 921, including key court rulings regarding allegations that investigators, insurance companies, attorneys, or others have failed to properly preserve evidence or otherwise comply with NFPA 921.