There are cases when it becomes necessary to conduct an expertise of items that have completely lost their properties or were destroyed as a result of exposure to external forces (for example, as a result of fire, flooding, etc.).

In such cases, the objects of epertise are documents relating to the destroyed item, namely:

• passports;
• labels;
• control tapes;
• images contained in design documentation or photographs;
• receipts from workshops and dry-cleaning companies.

If necessary, written explanations from the customer of the examination containing additional information required for conducting the expertise are also attached in addition to these documents.

This type of expertise addresses a narrower range of issues than usual. For example, it is impossible to determine the quality of an item based on documents. However, the availability of such documents makes it possible to determine the value of the item, the degree of wear at the time of destruction, and its category. Expertise based on documents also helps determine the amount of damage caused, which is very important when considering insurance cases.

When conducting such expertise, the experts of the Forensic expert kollegium resolve the following issues:

• determine the value of jewelry items shown in photographs and according to the attached labels;
• determine the residual value of a dress shown in a photograph, taking into account the data indicated on the label and the receipt from the dry-cleaning company;
• determine the percentage of wear of a fur product - a women’s mink fur coat purchased in year XXXX from a store (indicate the name of the store) at the price of (indicate the value of the item), having traces of alteration to fit the wearer’s figure and replacement of the lining as a result of repairs performed;
• establish the degree of loss of marketable appearance of new bed linen and mattress covers located in a room where the fire alarm system was activated (there was a smell of acrid smoke and water spraying occurred) based on photographs, hanging labels, and packaging samples;
• determine the degree of damage to medical goods stored in a warehouse flooded as a result of a pipe burst, based on the provided inspection report.

When an inspection report for damaged property is prepared, this document should also be submitted for expertise.

You may contact the Forensic expert kollegium for consultation regarding expertise based on documents at: Minsk, Zhukovskaga St., 11A, 4th floor

or by phone: +375 (17) 317 04 71; +375 (17) 317 04 72; +375 (17) 317 04 73; +375 (17) 317 04 74; +375 (17) 317 04 76; +375 (29) 109 60 11; +375 (44) 588 60 11.