For insurers, subrogation counsel, and risk managers
Proving why polymers fail, before and after a loss
Plastic Expert Group works both sides of a polymer failure. Pre-loss, we run the QA, conformance, and material-selection testing that keeps a failure from happening. Post-loss, we deliver the forensic root-cause analysis that determines what failed, why, and who is responsible, to inform the policy and subrogation response.
Across the failure lifecycle, we:
Predict
where a polymer will fail, before a loss
Prevent
the failure, with QA and conformance testing
Prove
what failed and who is responsible, after a loss
Prescribe
the fix, so the loss does not recur
The full failure lifecycle
We predict, prevent, prove, and prescribe
Before a loss, we predict where a polymer is likely to fail and run the testing that prevents it. After a loss, we prove what failed, why, and who is responsible, then prescribe the fix so it does not recur. The same polymer scientists do both, under one firm, which is what makes our opinions defensible.
Before a loss
Predict the failure.
We identify where a plastic part is likely to fail and how long it will last.
- Material selection and specification review
- Service-life and durability prediction
- Failure-mode and risk assessment
- Design review of failure-prone details
Know the risk before it becomes a claim.
Prevent the failure.
We run the testing and inspection that keep a failure from happening.
- QA and QC testing
- Compliance and conformance testing
- Specification conformance
- Non-destructive and on-site inspection
- Pre-policy inspection to confirm every joint was installed to the manufacturer specifications, before the insurance policy is issued
Stop the loss before it starts.
After a loss
Prove the failure.
We determine what failed, why, and who is responsible.
- Forensic root-cause analysis
- Expert testimony and Daubert-aligned reporting
- Chain of custody and documented evidence
- Subrogation and policy-response support
Determine cause and responsibility.
Prescribe the fix.
We recommend the material or design change that prevents a repeat.
- Remediation and corrective-action guidance
- Material or design change recommendations
- More durable chemistries and specifications
- QA and standards recommendations to prevent recurrence
Close the loop so it does not recur.
What we investigate
The polymer materials behind the costliest claims
Every material below is a polymer, which is why they sit squarely in our wheelhouse. Each maps to the insurance peril it drives.
Loss of Water
Plastic Pipes
Burst and leaking PEX, CPVC, polybutylene, PVC, and HDPE pipe. Failure modes: environmental stress cracking, oxidative degradation, fitting and joint failure, and long-term hydrostatic and pressure failure.
Example: our team traced CPVC fire-sprinkler cracking to an incompatible caulk plasticizer that migrated into the pipe and caused environmental stress cracking.
Explore pipe failuresLoss of Barrier
Barrier Films and Waterproofing Membranes
Roofing, below-grade membranes, and barrier films that keep water or oxygen out. Failure modes: seam and weld failure, embrittlement and weathering, chemical incompatibility, and processing or orientation defects.
Example: retained by counsel, our team traced large field grain-storage bags that were tearing and spoiling their contents to a manufacturing defect, the film had been oriented in the wrong direction, leaving it weak in the direction of the stored load.
Compatibility and ESC
Wire and Cable Jacketing
The jacketing on wire and cable, and how it interacts with the plastics around it. We investigate fire retardant and plasticizer migrating out of a coating into a plastic it contacts, for example a pipe, causing that plastic to fail by environmental stress cracking. We also develop better plasticizer free flexible jacketing materials.
Example: for a major wire and cable manufacturer, we identified a greener, halogen-free, partially bio-based flexible wire jacketing system and prepared a patentable invention disclosure for the new chemistry.
Loss of Protection
Protective Coatings
Protective and functional coatings that fail and expose the substrate. Failure modes: adhesion loss and delamination, blistering, cure and formulation defects, and amine blush.
Example: on a landmark public aquarium re-coating, our coatings and adhesives experts delivered an independent opinion on why the epoxy would not cure and delaminated, focusing on amine-blush chemistry, cure timing, and the curing environment.
Loss of Fire Safety
Combustible Cladding
Composition and combustibility of polymer and composite cladding, a materials analysis, not fire origin and cause. We are expanding our capabilities in this area with a forensic partner.
Representative engagements
A track record across polymer forms
Greener wire and cable insulation
A major wire and cable manufacturer wanted to replace the flexible PVC coating on its electrical wire with a greener alternative that was halogen-free, partially bio-based, recyclable, and flame-retardant to UL standards, at a competitive cost and patentable. Plastic Expert Group identified and recommended a material system, lined up compounding and flame-retardant partners, and prepared a patentable invention disclosure for the new bio-filled, halogen-free chemistry.
Silage storage bags tearing in the field
Large co-extruded plastic bags used to store silage were tearing apart and spoiling a dairy's feed, while bags from a different supplier used in prior years had held up. Retained by counsel, Plastic Expert Group examined the failed and reference bags with optical microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, directional tensile testing, and gas permeability, and traced the failures to a manufacturing defect; the film had been extruded under conditions that caused failure due to anisotropy (strong in one direction but weak in the transverse direction). PEG supported the client through litigation, including deposition review and rebuttal.
An epoxy coating that would not cure
During the re-coating of the exhibit tanks at a landmark public aquarium, the epoxy coatings would not cure and delaminated in pull tests, and the cause was in dispute. Plastic Expert Group's coatings and adhesives experts analyzed the field data and cure chemistry and delivered an independent opinion on why the coatings failed and which factors made the successful applications work, focusing on amine-blush chemistry, cure timing, and the curing environment.
HDPE pressure pipe water loss
A failed HDPE water main released a significant volume of water and drove a large first-party property loss. Retained on the subrogation side, our team examined the pipe and butt-fusion joint with non-destructive ultrasonic inspection, cross-sectional microscopy, and thermal and molecular analysis, and separated a material-grade issue from a fusion-joint workmanship issue and an installation and bedding issue, giving carrier counsel a defensible root cause to pursue recovery against the responsible party.
Questions and Answers
Subrogation and polymer failure: common questions
What does Plastic Expert Group do for an insurer that a general forensic engineer does not?
Every material we investigate is a polymer, so polymer failure is not an adjacent specialty for us, it is the whole practice. The same polymer scientists run the pre-loss testing and the post-loss root-cause analysis under one firm, which is what makes the resulting opinions defensible.
Can you help before a loss, not just after one?
Yes. Before a loss we predict where a polymer is likely to fail and how long it will last, through material selection and specification review, service-life and durability prediction, failure-mode and risk assessment, and design review of failure-prone details. We then run the QA, compliance and conformance testing that prevents the failure happening at all.
What is a pre-policy inspection?
An inspection carried out before the insurance policy is issued, confirming that every joint was installed to the manufacturer's specifications. It puts the risk on the table before it can become a claim.
Which polymer materials drive the costliest claims?
Plastic pipes, barrier films and waterproofing membranes, wire and cable jacketing, and protective coatings. Each maps to a specific peril: loss of water, loss of barrier, and loss of protection.
How do plastic pipes actually fail?
The common mechanisms are environmental stress cracking, oxidative degradation, fitting and joint failure, and long-term hydrostatic and pressure failure. These occur across PEX, CPVC, polybutylene, PVC and HDPE.
Can a coating or a cable jacket cause a pipe to fail?
Yes, and it is one of the most misdiagnosed causes. Fire retardant and plasticizer can migrate out of a coating or jacketing into a plastic it contacts, such as a pipe, causing that plastic to fail by environmental stress cracking. This is why the responsible product is often not the pipe.
How do you separate a material defect from a workmanship or installation problem?
By testing for each separately. On a failed HDPE water main we examined the pipe and butt-fusion joint using non-destructive ultrasonic inspection, cross-sectional microscopy, and thermal and molecular analysis, which distinguished a material-grade issue from a fusion-joint workmanship issue and from an installation and bedding issue.
What do you deliver that holds up in litigation?
Forensic root-cause analysis, expert testimony and Daubert-aligned reporting, documented chain of custody, and support for the subrogation and policy response.
Do you investigate cladding fires?
We analyse the composition and combustibility of polymer and composite cladding. That is a materials analysis, not fire origin and cause determination. We are expanding our capability in this area with a forensic partner.
What happens once the cause is established?
We prescribe the fix, so the loss does not recur: remediation and corrective-action guidance, material or design change recommendations, more durable chemistries and specifications, and QA and standards recommendations.
Trusted By Nationally Recognized Industry Leaders
Accreditations & Affiliations
Independent accredited labs across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and the Middle East
Subrogation support
Have a subrogation claim that hinges on a plastic failure?
We work with insurers and subrogation professionals to establish root cause, identify responsible parties, and support recovery. Confidential review, one-business-day reply.
Fast Initial Review
No-cost initial assessment for attorneys, insurers, manufacturers, and property owners.
Daubert-Aligned Methodology
A2LA-accredited testing built to survive a Daubert challenge.
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