Court-Ordered Expert Investigation in "Explosion & Fire"
Stéphane WEIBEL — "Court-Appointed Expert" registered with the Toulouse Court of Appeal (31) and the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal (33). Appointed by the Criminal, Civil, Administrative and Commercial courts. Independent of the parties.
Serving the court. Never one of the parties.
The Court-Appointed Expert has only one mandate: to enlighten the judge. Determining the Area of Origin, identifying the Point of Origin, Establishing the Cause of an "Explosion & Fire" loss. Every conclusion rests on verifiable findings, in accordance with the "NFPA 921" methodology. Nothing else.
The report is adversarial, filed into the proceedings and based on the facts alone. No untested hypothesis. No conclusion of convenience. A reliable technical answer — or a cause classified as Undetermined.
From the appointment order in interim proceedings to the fee-assessment order.
The Criminal Courts
Requisition by a Judicial Police Officer in cases of flagrante delicto. Appointment by the Public Prosecutor or by an expert-commissioning order issued by an Investigating Judge within the framework of a judicial investigation.
The Civil Courts
Appointment by an interim order or an order on the merits of a Judicial Court. The Court-Appointed Expert is commissioned to enlighten the Judge on the Causes and Circumstances of an "Explosion & Fire" loss. A Judge in charge of supervising expert investigations oversees the conduct of the operations.
The Administrative Courts
Appointment by the President of the Administrative Court in interim proceedings or during the investigation phase. The Court-Appointed Expert is commissioned to enlighten the Judge on the Causes and Circumstances of an "Explosion & Fire" loss involving public entities or public property.
The Commercial Courts
Appointment by an interim order or an order on the merits of a Commercial Court. The Court-Appointed Expert is commissioned to enlighten the Judge on the Causes and Circumstances of an "Explosion & Fire" loss involving companies, businesses or industrial activities.
Stéphane WEIBEL — Court-Appointed Expert.
Stéphane WEIBEL is personally registered on the list of Court-Appointed Experts of the Toulouse Court of Appeal (31) and the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal (33). This dual registration — judicial and administrative — allows him to intervene before all French courts, without any territorial restriction.
FireLab Pyrénées™ operates in mainland France, in the overseas departments and regions, and internationally.
Directory of Court-Appointed Experts
Public directory of the Conseil National des Compagnies d’Experts de Justice (French National Council of Court Experts’ Associations).
Paperless appointment
Paperless selection and appointment of court-appointed experts by the courts.
Registered on the lists of the Toulouse Court of Appeal (31) and the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal (33).
International standards of forensic investigation.
FireLab Pyrénées™ works within the international frameworks for the investigation of the origin and cause of Explosions & Fires. Active membership of the two leading professional associations of fire and explosion investigators.
International Association of Arson Investigators
The leading international organisation for investigators of incendiary and accidental fires. Founded in 1949.
Active member · New Jersey Chapter
European Association of Fire Investigators
European branch of the IAAI. A continent-wide network of post-fire investigation experts.
Active member · IAAI EuropeCourt-ordered expert investigation in "Explosion & Fire" in practice.
What is a Court-Appointed Expert in "Explosion & Fire"?
A Court-Appointed Expert is a professional registered on the list of a Court of Appeal, designated by a Judge to provide technical insight within the framework of legal proceedings. In "Explosion & Fire" matters, the mission consists of determining the Causes and Circumstances of the loss and writing a report filed into the proceedings, in accordance with the "NFPA 921" methodology.
Before which types of courts do you intervene?
FireLab Pyrénées™ intervenes upon appointment by the Criminal courts (Investigating Judges, Public Prosecutors), Civil courts (Judicial Courts), Administrative courts (Administrative Courts) and Commercial courts (Commercial Courts). Registration on the lists of the Toulouse Court of Appeal (31) and the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal (33) allows intervention without any territorial restriction.
How does a court-ordered expert investigation in "Explosion & Fire" proceed?
The Expert receives an appointment order defining the mission. He organises an adversarial site visit at the loss scene, collects the technical data, analyses the Combustion Marks and Fire Effects - TCEF, writes a preliminary report submitted to the parties, then a final report filed into the proceedings.
What is the difference between a court-appointed expert and an insurance expert?
The Court-Appointed Expert is designated by a Judge within the framework of legal proceedings. He is independent of the parties. The insurance expert is instructed by an insurance company to defend its interests within the framework of an amicable expert appraisal. The two roles are distinct and must not be confused.
