AUTOMOTIVE AND MECHANICAL PLANT
Private possessions or company asset, vehicles represent hard-earned capital. Hannaford Forensic are the UK's best known and most successful investigators of vehicle, plant and machinery fires. Damage, destruction, design fault or death/injury related, identifying cause is essential, rapid response and accuracy paramount.
Owner, insurer, legal representative or engineer-assessor, you single-mindedly need to determine liability, and that can all too frequently involve the spectre of fraud.
Forensic investigation finds the facts, removes the fiction. And often, original cause may not be the resulting effect.
Our specialists operate in the principle area of fire damage, with the ability to assess any pre-existing or associated mechanical failure in cases of suspected fraud.
Fire
Fire can cause destruction and injury. But just where does the initial cause of the problem cease and the ultimate effect be the real issue, therefore defining liability?
As we know from monitoring product and Vehicle Inspectorate recalls, damage or injury can often be attributed to manufacturer's design or assembly fault. But is a claim the result of user negligence or maintenance, or inexperienced, poorly-trained servicing?
Again, cause may not always directly correlate to effect. But we will establish what came first.
Fraud
Deliberate destruction of an asset by fire or other means for the purpose of insurance fraud may be the result of an act of desperation - but it is also an illegal act.
Part of our standard procedure with vehicles includes examination for traces of accelerant, together with inspecting for signs of pre-emptive substitution of parts and engine/component failure unassociated with the cause of fire.
Removing fantasy from fact, compassion from contract, is Hannaford Forensic's impartial hallmark in this traumatic, but inevitable area of the risk industry.
LITIGATION AND EXPERT WITNESS ASSIGNMENTS
As leading members of The Academy of Experts, and therefore a recognised Corporate Provider of Expert Services, we know that the ultimate in accountabilty is being prepared to provide a report that we will stand up to cross-examination. We are trained and experienced in this field. You can rely on our advice to be independent and impartial, and our reports to be prepared as suitable for disclosure.
We also review and assess externally produced reports or forensic data for interpretation where litigation is commenced or may result.
TRAINING......
We also regularly run industry and client-specific fire investigation courses and seminars, aimed at increasing cost-effectiveness among engineer-assessors and claims technicians.
We have trained many of the major insurance companies' engineers, as well as members of the IMI and IAEA, and even vehicle manufacturer's technicians. By providing training in the 'what to look for' procedures and developing straight-forward check lists, we know that insurers and engineers have benefited from the early identification of fraud and potential recoveries of outlay. We are proud to announce that we have now teamed up with Thatcham Training Centre to provide the ultimate Vehicle Fire Investigation Course!