Experts
Forensic Engineering · Fire Investigation · Construction, Mechanical and Industrial Losses
Specialists appointed according to the nature and complexity of each assignment
Multidisciplinary Technical Team
DCS Forensics & Loss Consulting operates through a multidisciplinary technical model that combines senior claims leadership, specialised engineering and access to a network of associated consultants and experts selected according to the nature, complexity, jurisdiction and exposure of each assignment.
In addition to the specialists presented in this section, DCS maintains access to technical and professional capabilities across complementary disciplines and can coordinate resources in Mexico and other international markets, including the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as across various jurisdictions in Latin America and the Caribbean, whenever the characteristics of the matter require it.
Our model is not based on predetermined teams. For each assignment, the appropriate combination of loss adjusters, engineers, investigators, valuers, forensic accountants and other specialists is defined, ensuring that each professional operates strictly within their area of competence and under a clearly established scope.
Coordination is maintained under centralised technical direction, allowing DCS to consistently integrate causation analysis, damage assessment and quantification, review of failure mechanisms, coverage implications and the overall claims strategy, while avoiding duplication of scope, costs and responsibilities.
Where a loss requires highly specialised expertise, DCS can engage additional experts through its professional and technical network, including independent specialists, laboratories, engineering consultants and professionals with specific sector experience.
Each engagement is carried out under common principles of technical independence, verifiable evidence, documentary traceability, quality control and clear client communication, maintaining a flexible structure proportionate to the severity and complexity of the matter.
Pedro Agraz
Civil Engineer · Founding Partner
Forensic Engineering · Construction and Civil Works Claims
Civil Engineer with more than 35 years of experience in construction, structural projects, fit-outs, topographic surveys and the technical assessment of buildings and real estate developments.
As a Founding Partner of DCS Forensics & Loss Consulting, he leads the civil works and construction technical practice, providing specialist support on insurance and reinsurance claims involving damage to buildings, structures, installations and works in progress.
His involvement includes site inspections, damage documentation, causation and failure-mechanism analysis, identification of construction defects and pre-existing conditions, and assessment of the compatibility between the reported event and the observed damage.
He also participates in the review of repair, reconstruction and replacement scopes, technical analysis of estimates and costs, and the preparation of conclusions supporting decisions on coverage, quantification, recovery and claim strategy, in coordination with the appointed loss adjuster.
Key Areas:
Technical assessment of damage to buildings and civil works.
Causation and failure-mechanism analysis.
Differentiation between new damage, pre-existing damage and construction deficiencies.
Review of repair, reconstruction and replacement scopes.
Analysis of estimates, costs and the technical reasonableness of claims.
Integration of design, construction, occupancy and maintenance records.
Technical opinions for loss adjustment, arbitration, litigation and expert disputes.
Technical support for insurers, reinsurers, loss adjusters, brokers and legal advisers.
Education:
Civil Engineer
Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City.Professional Licence No. 1981117
Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Project Management
Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City.
Email: pedro.agraz@dcsforensics.com
Gerardo Silva
Senior Loss Adjuster · Associate Consultant
Construction Losses · Civil Engineering · Property Claims & CAT
Senior loss adjuster with more than 30 years of experience handling, analysing and resolving property, construction, civil engineering and infrastructure claims across Venezuela and several Latin American markets.
As an Associate Consultant with DCS Forensics & Loss Consulting, he supports assignments involving material damage, structures, civil works, infrastructure and catastrophe events, bringing senior experience in inspections, documentary review, technical claim analysis, loss quantification and preparation of loss adjusting reports.
His professional background includes experience with Thomas Howell Group, Crawford Venezuela, Miller International Latinoamérica and ALA Associated Loss Adjusters, handling claims under Construction All Risks (CAR), Erection All Risks (EAR), Industrial All Risks (IAR) and other property policies.
He has worked on claims in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Mexico. His experience includes infrastructure projects, railway systems, buildings, industrial facilities and works in progress, as well as large losses and CAT operations.
In Mexico, he participated in claims arising from Hurricane Patricia, including site inspections and damage assessment, together with other assignments carried out in coordination with international loss adjusting teams.
In recent years, he has complemented his field practice with remote and hybrid claims handling, including documentary review, coverage analysis, preparation of adjustment and settlement proposals, preliminary and final reports, and inspections supported by local personnel and video-assisted assessment tools.
Core Areas:
Construction, civil engineering and infrastructure loss adjusting.
Damage assessment for buildings, structures and works in progress.
Review of claims under CAR, EAR and Industrial All Risks policies.
Documentary analysis and preliminary review of coverage and causation.
Loss quantification and review of repair or replacement costs.
Preparation of adjustment proposals, settlement recommendations and technical reports.
CAT claims and large-loss response.
On-site, remote and hybrid inspections.
Technical coordination with insureds, insurers, brokers and specialists.
International claims handling across Latin America.
Education:
Higher University Technician in Civil Construction
Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Alonso Gamero, Venezuela.Civil Engineering Studies
Arturo Vargas
Mechanical Engineer · Master’s Degree in Railway Systems
Forensic Engineering · Mechanical, Railway and Industrial Risks
Mechanical Engineer with a Master’s Degree in Railway Systems and operational experience in passenger railway infrastructure, diesel fuel storage and supply, rolling stock maintenance, and regulatory compliance in facilities exposed to fire, explosion, environmental contamination and operational interruption risks.
As a Technical Associate of DCS Forensics & Loss Consulting, he participates under specialist direction in investigations and technical assessments involving mechanical, railway and industrial losses. His work includes inspections and document review, integration of operational and maintenance records, preliminary identification of failure mechanisms, and analysis of the compatibility between the reported event and the observed damage.
His railway operations experience includes responsibility for fuel storage and distribution systems, controlled receipt of fuel tankers, supply of diesel and emissions-reduction fluid, and coordination with maintenance and servicing activities for diesel and hybrid railway units.
He also contributes to the preparation of technical conclusions and supporting documentation for decisions concerning causation, scope of damage, repair or replacement, recovery and claim strategy, in coordination with the appointed loss adjuster and designated specialists.
Key Areas:
Technical assessment of mechanical and railway systems.
Preliminary analysis of mechanical, operational and maintenance failures.
Investigation of operating conditions, safety and regulatory compliance.
Review of maintenance records, logs and technical documentation.
Assessment of fuel storage and distribution facilities.
Fire, explosion, contamination and operational interruption risks.
Technical inspection of railway infrastructure and rolling stock.
Technical support for industrial, railway and machinery breakdown claims.
Education:
Master’s Degree in Railway Systems
TECH México Universidad Tecnológica.
SEP Professional Licence No. 15567742.Mechanical Engineering
National Autonomous University of Mexico.
SEP Professional Licence No. 13520869.
Additional Technical Training:
Postgraduate diploma in Railway Systems, Tecnológico Nacional de México.
Postgraduate diploma in Railway Rolling Stock.
Railway Engineering: An Integral Approach, Delft University of Technology.
Emergency response planning and safety in fuel facilities.
Quality, safety, operation and maintenance in railway workshops.
Postgraduate diploma in Biomechatronics, Faculty of Engineering, UNAM.
José Miguel Lima
Petroleum Chemical Engineer
Fire Investigation · Explosions and Forensic Chemistry
Petroleum Chemical Engineer with specialised experience in fire and explosion origin-and-cause investigations, fire chemistry, physical evidence analysis and the specification of laboratory testing.
As an Associate Consultant with DCS Forensics & Loss Consulting, he participates in independent investigations for insurers, reinsurers, brokers and corporate clients. His work includes scene inspections, review of causal hypotheses, assessment of evidential sufficiency, evaluation of potential ignition and fire-spread scenarios, and preparation of technical opinions for complex claims.
His institutional and private-sector experience includes fire and explosives investigation, field collection and preservation of evidence, analysis of accelerants, explosives, petroleum derivatives and other substances, as well as the application of instrumental techniques including infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography.
He also participates in the review of previous expert reports, identification of technical inconsistencies, assessment of inadequate maintenance or non-compliant modifications, and definition of laboratory testing intended to support clear, traceable and defensible conclusions for loss adjustment, reinsurance, arbitration and litigation.
Key Areas:
Fire and explosion origin-and-cause investigation.
Fire chemistry and analysis of combustion mechanisms.
Inspection, collection and preservation of physical evidence.
Analysis of accelerants, explosives and petroleum derivatives.
Specification and supervision of laboratory testing.
Infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography.
Review of ignition and fire-spread hypotheses.
Preparation of technical reports and expert opinions.
Education:
Petroleum Chemical Engineer
National Polytechnic Institute.Clinical Laboratory Technician
Federal Police.
Credentials and Additional Technical Training:
SEP Professional Licence No. 6466976.
Professional Expert “A” in Fires and Explosives, Office of the Attorney General of Mexico City.
Fire investigation training through the IAAI’s CFITrainer.Net platform.
International course in arson and post-blast explosives investigation, ATF.
Training in fire chemistry, basic electricity, scene safety and evidence analysis.
Training in spectroscopy, chromatography and analytical techniques.
Email: jose.lima@dcsforensics.com