Certified, Fact-Based Forensic Meteorology ConsultingDiving deep into the guts of the storm at your exact location.
|
Dan Schreiber, CCM
|
Our forensic meteorology investigations have assisted hail damage claims, wind damage claims, hurricane claims, tornado claims, vehicular accident investigations, airplane crash lawsuits, energy industry investigations and lawsuits, and more.
Hired by a Defense firm in Texas (by referral of an accident reconstruction firm), the issue at hand was a personal injury & wrongful death case in which a backward-moving freight train collided at slow speed with a semi truck after dark, during unsettled weather. The Plaintiff (onboard the freight train) argued that the collision was the fault of the now-deceased truck-driver, despite several other factors related to the unsettled weather - including reduced visibility, night-time skies, and cold rain - on top of the lack of a train signal - that were ongoing at the time at the incident location. Settled before trial for a confidential amount, in which the Defense was notably pleased.
We have many Hurricane Irma (Florida, September 2017) success stories. One of our most notable "wins" came from an appraisal hearing for a condominium building on the beach in Palm Beach, Florida. While both the insurance carrier and policy holder had hired meteorologists, only one was a Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) - the carrier's meteorologist. In order for the policy holder's appraiser to be confident and truthful the weather facts, he hired Mr. Schreiber. Mr. Schreiber largely agreed with the carrier's certified meteorologist, and this consistency among true professionals significantly aided a fact-based, fair hearing before the umpire - a former judge. Ultimately, the policy holder's team won the appraisal.
Hail is a daily study at our office. In fact, utilizing top-notch weather radar programs, Mr. Schreiber has even created an experimental hail product for identifying severe-sized hail utilizing equally-weighted single and dual polarization radar data.
One of Mr. Schreiber's earliest successes in hail was when hired by a Plaintiffs' firm in Texas regarding a hail storm at a church. The insurance carrier argued that the damage was from an old hail storm (which they had previously denied coverage). Mr. Schreiber did not contest that hail fell at a previous date, but ultimately argued that significant hail fell on the "new" date of loss. While expecting to testify at trial, during Voir Dire, the Defense attorney ultimately admitted truth to Mr. Schreiber's expected testimony. The jury awarded the Plaintiff a favorable verdict.
Likewise, Mr. Schreiber was also hired by an insurance carrier regarding a similar case of "old" versus "new" hail in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The policy holder's roofer (and appraiser) argued that a recent storm had caused significant damage to 5 commercial buildings (over $900,000 USD). However, once the carrier hired Mr. Schreiber and he testified during an appraisal hearing, it was determined that the alleged storm completely missed the subject property. The case was settled shortly after.
One of Mr. Schreiber's earliest successes in hail was when hired by a Plaintiffs' firm in Texas regarding a hail storm at a church. The insurance carrier argued that the damage was from an old hail storm (which they had previously denied coverage). Mr. Schreiber did not contest that hail fell at a previous date, but ultimately argued that significant hail fell on the "new" date of loss. While expecting to testify at trial, during Voir Dire, the Defense attorney ultimately admitted truth to Mr. Schreiber's expected testimony. The jury awarded the Plaintiff a favorable verdict.
Likewise, Mr. Schreiber was also hired by an insurance carrier regarding a similar case of "old" versus "new" hail in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The policy holder's roofer (and appraiser) argued that a recent storm had caused significant damage to 5 commercial buildings (over $900,000 USD). However, once the carrier hired Mr. Schreiber and he testified during an appraisal hearing, it was determined that the alleged storm completely missed the subject property. The case was settled shortly after.
Microburst wind events are not for the faint of heart - especially when a forensic study is required. Hired by a Public Adjuster (on behalf of a policy holder) in south Florida, Mr. Schreiber was able to prove that an extremely powerful, localized wind event occurred at a subject property, in which coverage was originally denied by the insurance carrier (post-Hurricane Irma). Ultimately, the insurance carrier agreed to cover the loss.
Hired by an insurance carrier and their building construction consultants, Mr. Schreiber examined heavy rain events in south Texas at a renewable energy project in which contractors (the insured) claimed millions of dollars of losses. In question (among others) was the number of covered events during the policy period, and therefore, the deductible amount. Mr. Schreiber was successfully able to rebut a "weather report" provided by non-meteorologists to the policy holder, and provide the insurance carrier ample, quality meteorological information to result in a fair (and favorable) settlement of the matter.
Our Forensic Meteorology Expertise, Weather Event Investigations, and Certified Historical Weather Reports have been utilized by Insurance Adjusters, Engineering Consultants, General Contractors, and both Defense and Plaintiff's Attorneys.
What is Forensic Meteorology?
Forensic meteorologists review historical weather data from numerous sources to formulate an expert opinion of a particular weather event
Forensic meteorology - also known as weather forensics - is the scientific investigation of past weather events. Instead of forecasting weather for the future, forensic meteorology experts review historical data, witness statements, and other reports to formulate a picture of the weather that occurred at a specific place at a specific time, and how this weather impacted a certain event or incident. These weather events can range between hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, hail storms, wind storms, lightning strikes, and blizzards, to seemingly insignificant - but crucial weather scenarios - such as sun glare, high and low temperatures, wind direction, sky cover, and humidity. Forensic consulting meteorologists often specialize within the science, such as thunderstorm experts, wind damage experts, hail experts, flash flooding experts, hurricane & tropical weather experts, tornado experts, snow & ice experts, aviation weather experts, air pollution experts, ocean & marine experts, and more.
Between 70-90% of Americans are impacted by some form of weather on a daily basis (according to a PEW Research study), so in many cases, historical weather information can be instrumental to the outcome of legal proceedings. Forensic meteorologists also work closely with insurance agents, public adjusters, business owners, and private citizens on a variety of weather-related issues.
Between 70-90% of Americans are impacted by some form of weather on a daily basis (according to a PEW Research study), so in many cases, historical weather information can be instrumental to the outcome of legal proceedings. Forensic meteorologists also work closely with insurance agents, public adjusters, business owners, and private citizens on a variety of weather-related issues.
Weather We Investigate:
When you have property damage or a legal dispute, getting a reliable weather report is crucial. Hiring an expert meteorologist is the best way to provide meteorological evidence to support your position.
Aviation EmergenciesAviation Meteorology Expertise: Equipped with the same suite of meteorological information as our government partners, we'll know what weather was encountered in flight, and run an independent & conclusive weather investigation.
|
Vehicular AccidentsOver 2,000 people are killed and over 100,000 injured due to poor driving weather each year in the United States. Using advanced weather technology, we will reconstruct the weather conditions for the accident in question.
|
Sun & Heat IncidentsAccording to the National Weather Service, excessive heat exposure is the leading cause of death in the United States during most years. Sun glare also contributes to several motor vehicle accidents annually. Let us investigate the weather events in your case.
|
FloodsRiver flooding and flash flooding forensic meteorology: flooding is one of the most deadly and destructive weather events in the United States. Property damage or personal injury? Our flooding expertise can help.
|
Hurricane DamageTropical weather can cause widespread, costly damage, uproot lives, and take years to recover from. Let the hurricane expert assist with your hurricane property damage claim or insurance dispute, and get you or your clients back in the ballgame.
|
Hail DamageHail is the leading property damage contributor during most years. Hail storms are not only destructive, but also deadly. Using the latest weather technology, let the forensic hail experts investigate your hail claim and provide a certified hail storm report.
|
Slip & FallWho is responsible for slip and fall incidents? Was the sidewalk not de-iced, or the floor mats not in place? We'll look at the conditions surrounding the slip & fall event, like precipitation, ice, snow, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and more.
|
Wind DamageTornadoes, thunderstorm microbursts, and strong winter storms can all lead to significant property damage and cause downed trees, power lines, and structural collapse. High winds can be damaging and deadly. We're the damaging wind experts.
|
Thunderstorm DamageThunderstorms can cause damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flash flooding, and deadly lightning strikes. Using the latest technology, the forensic thunderstorm experts at STWX Strategic can reanalyze a thunderstorm to determine exactly what happened.
|
Energy InfrastructureA meteorologist can review solar, wind, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and other weather conditions that may impact both renewable and conventional energy production. We have been retained leading engineering and insurance firms to investigation multi-million dollar losses.
|
Our Forensic Meteorology Tools:
Weather SensorsThere are thousands of weather sensors across the United States and the world. Some are reliable, others are not. We know where to get the best data.
|
Weather RadarThe vast majority of the United States is within reach of a weather radar. With latest technology, we can see into the core of the storm.
|
Weather SatelliteSatellite imagery looks from outer space at our earth, and is the #1 best tool for meteorologists. There's isn't much that can hide from a satellite.
|
Weather Balloon DataWeather balloons transmit valuable data about the state of the atmosphere, both near the surface and aloft past the jet stream.
|
Flight TrackingFlight tracking data is crucial to understanding where an aircraft flew and when it encountered weather. We're like the private-sector NTSB.
|
Weather ModelsWeather models are perfect for understanding the forecast on a particular day, even if it was in the past.
|
Site SurveyOften times, a site-survey must be conducted to put eyes on exactly what happened at the scene of an incident involving weather.
|
River ObservationsRiver observations are very important for telling meteorologists when a river or watershed was flooding, for how long, and how much.
|
Citizen ObservationsCitizen reports are ultra-valuable across the United States because weather stations aren't everywhere. Two eyes on the ground are vital.
|
Weather AlertsWeather alerts tell us what the general public should have been aware of at the time of an incident. Often, negligence may be the case.
|