BBC’s Watchdog seeks Hannaford Forensic’s help
BBC’s Watchdog asked Managing Director, Stephen Magnus-Hannaford, to appear on the programme and provide expert opinion on vehicle fires. Specifically, Watchdog were investigating a problem with BMW Minis fitted with power steering pumps that could cause fire in models produced between 2001 and 2003.
BMW has so far only acknowledged that the steering pump could ‘smoulder’. However, when Stephen was given photos of an affected Mini, his experience was telling, Stephen commented "We can see we've got an electrical wiring harness here with some damage at one end. The close up view shows that the connector where it was attached to the pump has started to melt. This is copper and it melts at over 1000 degrees centigrade. I'd say if you've got temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees centigrade with these sorts of flammable materials around it, you've got the basis of a fire."
Watchdog will continue to monitor reports of potential Mini fires. If you have been affected by a Mini fire please contact us and let us know.
Hannaford Forensic attends Post Magazine’s Motor Claims Management Briefing 2009
Post Magazine’s annual Motor Claims Management Briefing took place in February 2009. Hannaford Forensic were one of a small number of exhibitors at the conference acting as expert guides in matters relating to fire-related vehicle fraud. The conference was attended by some of the most infuenial motor claims people in the insurance sector. The conference discussed:
- Working collaboratively with the underwriting department to ensure optimum process efficiency
- Reducing fraud costs through intelligence sharing and in-depth knowledge of emerging trends
- The Ministry of Justice reforms: how have the regulations affected the sector and where do we go from here
For more information about where you can see Hannaford Forensic at exhibitions and conferences across the country, please contact us
Auto Express – a day in the life of Hannaford Forensic
Recent economic times have put more pressure on motorists to consider setting their own cars on fire, then submitting an insurance claim. The cost to the insurance industry and ultimately the consumer is forcing the need for car fires to be investigated.
This rise in fire-related fraudulent insurance claims led Auto Express to want to understand how the insurance companies are fighting back. Auto Express therefore spent a day with Hannaford Forensic’s Managing Director, Stephen Magnus-Hannaford, to understand the role of a vehicle fire investigator.
Stephen took Auto Express through the process of fire investigation as he conducted a forensic investigation of a vehicle fire. In doing so Stephen was able to highlight the sequence of events the fire followed and tally this evidence with the driver’s insurance claim. The process highlighted that vehicle component faults can also be the cause of a fire, putting neither the driver nor the insurance company at fault. Auto Express published a two page ‘Inside Story’ in a January edition of the magazine.
New website launched
In line with Hannaford Forensic’s continued growth, the new website has been launched to provide more information regarding the way we work and the services we provide. Managing Director, Stephen Magnus-Hannaford, commented: “the new website was an opportunity for us to clearly communicate our services and the value we bring to our clients. We have so much experience across the company it is important we convey those skills through our website.”
I would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter and in particular establishing the cause of the fire which, due to the damage caused was far from straightforward
Insurer
We have recently received a full settlement of our claim from the insurers… we would like to thank you for your assistance in this case.
Insurer