Fire and Explosion

Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff’s Fire and Explosion practice group combines our extensive experience in defending product liability lawsuits with expertise obtained through training, education and certification in fire science. For over a decade the firm has defended clients in a variety of complex property damage and personal injury fire and explosion cases.

As fire science continues to expand and progress, the firm reinforces its place on the cutting edge of new developments in the law. Members of this practice group routinely attend national seminars including the Defense Research Institute Fire and Explosion Seminar, National Fire, Arson & Explosion Investigation Training Program, International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology, and Interscience Communications Conference on Fire and Materials. We defend high-profile product manufacturers, property owners, and other entities and individuals in lawsuits involving fires and/or explosions.

Our Fire and Explosion practice group is headed by partners Clay Farrell and Shannon Kos. Clay has over 25 years of experience successfully litigating complex product liability cases. Shannon has tried cases in Michigan and is a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, a credential held by only a handful of attorneys. Both have authored and edited articles published in national journals pertaining to fire science litigation, including product testing, and origin and cause investigation.

To assist our lawyers in providing superior representation, Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff maintains an extensive library of codes, standards, guides, and reference materials pertaining to fire science litigation, including:

• NFPA guides and handbooks, including NFPA 921 Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, National Fuel Gas Handbook and Fire Protection Handbook;
• NFPA standards and codes, including National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA54), Liquified Petroleum Gas Code (NFPA 58), Installation of Sprinkler Systems (NFPA13), Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems (NFPA25), and Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations (NFPA241);
• Underwriter’s Laboratory standards including UL127 and UL2034;
• ASTM standards including E620, E678, E 860, E1020 and E1188;
• ANSI standards including Z21.44 and Z21.47; and
• Secondary literature published by leading experts in the field.

Collins, Einhorn, Farrell & Ulanoff sees our fire and Explosion practice growing substantially in the upcoming years, while enjoying continued recognition as the go-to firm in this area of law. We invite you to contact us to discuss legal issues in connection with the evolving area of fire sciences.

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