In the unfortunate event of an accident or incident at a business, we can respond immediately, investigating the circumstances and offering our (non-discoverable) expert opinion to help determine liability at an early stage. We work with the insurer to develop an early view on whether a claim from the third party is likely; and its validity if it does. We like to think of ourselves as Forensic First Responders! No matter how minor, or major, the incident appears – we are here to help investigate and prepare for a potential claim.

Our experience shows that, often when an incident is notified, an insurer will look to investigate whether there is a viable claim in it. We employ the standard Forensic Engineering techniques as we would with our traditional inspections, to discover how and why an accident may have happened, and then offer our expert opinion to the businesses’ insurers to discuss liability matters discreetly.

It is much easier to form a defence against a potential claim immediately after the accident. Not all incidents will become a claim, but you have the peace of mind of knowing that you are prepared for the one that does.

We will give an unbiased assessment of the causes of the accident, what (if anything) could have been done to avoid it. If there is a claim made later, you are prepared for it, and will know if it is worth defending.

The more time that elapses between the occurrence of the alleged incident and the inspection into the incident, the less clear and less easily available the evidence becomes. As Forensic Engineers, we see this time and again, where the conditions have changed, peoples recollections are less clear, witnesses are no longer available. Waiting (up to) 2 years for a claim to be made following an incident, and a further time awaiting joint Forensic Engineering facilities for a traditional inspection, creates many issues with the inspection of a claim and may hamper the investigation in significant ways.

For this reason, we recommend that a Neutral Forensic Engineer attends the alleged accident locus as soon as notification of an event insured against occurs (that is, anything that may give rise to a potential claim).

In the situation where a claim is received, we will inspect the circumstances in an unbiased manner, and discuss the matter confidentially with the insurer, helping you decide whether it is a claim worth defending through the courts, or if it should be settled without a costly legal battle.