The Forensic expert kollegium conducts an independent assessment of the cost of damage caused to furniture products as a result of flooding, fire, or natural disaster.

Independent assessment of furniture products involves a whole range of works during which the cost of restoration repair, as well as its feasibility, is evaluated. Since the cost of restoration repair includes not only the replacement of all parts that have lost their properties, but also the cost of assembly/disassembly of the product, which in total may significantly exceed the cost of a new product, repair of the product is not always considered feasible.

The Forensic expert kollegium conducts independent assessment of the amount of damage in relation to:

• furniture made of wood and wood-based materials;
• furniture made of polymer materials;
• glass furniture;
• upholstered furniture;
• cabinet furniture, etc.

Based on the expert practice of the Forensic expert kollegium, the main types of furniture damage caused by flooding, resulting in the need for complete replacement of the products, are:

• swelling of particle board, swelling of MDF board, swelling of solid wood furniture;
• edge band peeling;
• cracks in the facing material and base board;
• formation of indelible stains, streaks, and contamination;
• corrosion of metal mechanisms;
• deformation of upholstered filling elements with sagging (for upholstered furniture).

In such cases, restoration repair is considered feasible if only small or easily removable parts were affected by flooding.

The Forensic expert kollegium also conducts independent expertise to assess the cost of damage caused to furniture products as a result of fire. In this case, exposure to high temperatures causes the following types of damage:

• charring of furniture products;
• shrinkage and warping of wood;
• cracks in the facing material and base board.

After a fire, furniture in most cases is beyond repair, therefore complete replacement is required.

The amount of damage caused to a furniture product consists of the cost of its restoration minus the depreciation value of the replaced parts (percentage of quality loss). To determine the percentage of quality loss of the product, it is necessary to know how long the furniture had been in use before the flooding (fire or other incident).

During the assessment of the amount of damage caused to furniture products as a result of fire, flooding, or natural disaster, the percentage of damaged parts (their quantity), the materials from which the damaged parts are made, and the complexity of manufacturing the product are determined. At the same time, the following types of work are carried out by the Forensic expert kollegium:

• expert’s visit to the scene;
• presence of a specialist representing the client during the inspection;
• visual and measurement inspection of the objects;
• photographic recording indicating all damaged elements;
• calculation of restoration repair costs;
• preparation of a written report.

An independent expertise for the assessment of damage caused to furniture may be initiated by the owner of the product, an insurance organization, or a court if the appraised value of the object is required for consideration of a civil case.

The advantage of an independent assessment is that the report issued to the client has the status of an official evidentiary document and may be used in court proceedings related to determining the amount of compensation payments.

When conducting an independent expertise to assess the cost of damage caused to furniture products, the following questions are addressed:

• Does the furniture contain defects resulting from flooding (fire, natural disaster)? If such defects exist, determine the amount of damage caused by flooding (fire, natural disaster).
• Are the identified defects repairable, or is complete replacement of the product required?
• Determine the percentage of quality loss of the furniture product as a result of flooding (fire, natural disaster).

To conduct an independent assessment of the amount of damage caused to furniture products, it is necessary to provide the Forensic expert kollegium with all available documentation for the product: contract, sketches, drawings, warranty certificate, as well as information about the materials from which the product is made, the time of purchase, its cost, the manufacturing company, etc.

You may contact the Forensic expert kollegium for consultation regarding independent assessment of the cost of damage caused to furniture products 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.