ForensisGroup says construction disputes often need multiple experts

ForensisGroup is urging lawyers to bring in technical experts early in construction disputes, saying many claims require multiple engineering disciplines to sort out causation and liability. The Pasadena firm points to rising complexity in projects, delayed damage and major recent incidents as reasons multidisciplinary analysis matters more now.

Why it matters: - Construction disputes can turn on technical issues that go beyond one specialty, which can change who is responsible and how a case is built. - Early expert review can help attorneys identify hidden issues, narrow the scope of investigation and avoid costly assumptions before discovery and trial. - The firm is also extending complimentary one-hour consultations to individuals after the Los Angeles wildfires, not just attorneys and other institutional clients.

What happened: - ForensisGroup released guidance on July 23, 2026, saying construction litigation often requires multiple engineering and technical disciplines. - The Pasadena-based expert witness provider is urging attorneys to involve qualified experts at the start of a case, when technical analysis can still shape strategy. - The company says the same approach applies to property owners and others dealing with technical questions tied to recovery and reconstruction.

The details: - A cracked foundation, water intrusion, structural movement, code compliance issue or material failure can lead to a much broader investigation than the original claim suggests. - Relevant specialties can include structural, civil, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical and materials engineering, plus architecture, construction management, building code analysis and cost estimating. - Moisture intrusion, soil movement, corrosion, foundation settlement, building envelope failures and structural deficiencies may not appear until months or years after construction ends. - By the time litigation starts, experts may need to reconstruct events long after the original work was completed. - Mercy Tolentino Steenwyk, founder and CEO of ForensisGroup, said the visible problem is rarely the whole story and that interconnected building systems require looking beyond the obvious. - ForensisGroup has focused on construction litigation since its founding in 1991. - The company says Steelewyk founded the firm after seeing that attorneys handling construction disputes needed specialized technical expertise to understand what failed and why. - ForensisGroup says construction projects have become more sophisticated, which has increased the number of disciplines that may be involved in one matter. - The firm offers complimentary one-hour consultations with qualified experts across all specialties. - ForensisGroup expanded those consultations after the Los Angeles wildfires to include individuals seeking technical guidance related to recovery. - The company says it serves attorneys, law firms, insurers, corporations and other organizations. - ForensisGroup says it has more than 3,000 areas of expertise across business, engineering and construction, environmental and science, including technical, medical and financial disciplines. - The firm says it has supported more than 20,000 clients in more than 30,000 cases since 1991. - ForensisGroup says it is a Top 100 Women-Owned and Minority-Owned business in Los Angeles and has received the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2025 Social Responsibility Award. - The firm says The National Law Journal and AM’s Best have voted it Best Expert Provider and AM’s Best Client-Recommended Expert Service Provider for more than 10 years. - The company lists ForensisGroup.com and 800-555-5422 for more information. - ForensisGroup also provided social media links for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X and Substack.

Between the lines: - Construction cases often look straightforward at the start, but delayed damage and overlapping building systems can hide the real cause until multiple specialists review the evidence. - The firm is positioning early multidisciplinary review as both a legal advantage and a practical way to reduce wasted time and expense. - Recent structural concerns at a major Manhattan development and recovery work in Los Angeles County are being used as examples of why one expert may not be enough. - The Manhattan situation involves an ongoing engineering investigation, while the Los Angeles rebuilding effort is bringing up questions about structural integrity, fire damage, soil stability, environmental contamination, utility infrastructure, construction methods and insurance coverage. - Emily Lou Steenwyk, managing director of ForensisGroup, said attorneys often call when deadlines are close, but early expert involvement gives the greatest value by helping counsel understand the facts and spot gaps in the evidence. - Mercy Steenwyk said people often do not know what they do not know, which is why objective technical review can matter before a case hardens around the wrong theory.

What's next: - ForensisGroup expects attorneys to keep relying on multidisciplinary experts earlier in the litigation timeline as construction projects become more complex. - The firm’s complimentary consultations may draw more calls from attorneys, insurers and property owners sorting out technical questions after wildfire damage and other construction failures. - Ongoing investigations in Manhattan and reconstruction work in Los Angeles may continue to illustrate the need for coordinated engineering, code and construction analysis.

The bottom line: - In construction litigation, the first visible failure is often only a symptom. - ForensisGroup’s message is that causation, liability and damages are harder to pin down when lawyers wait too long or rely on only one technical perspective.