Engineering Investigations
Failure Analysis
The failure of a single component in a vehicle or piece of equipment can cause considerable damage or personal injury. By conducting the necessary physical inspection, metallurgical analysis, or testing we can determine what failure mode occurred. This will tell us whether the component was manufactured to the applicable design standard, or whether it failed due to a manufacturing defect in the component. Our conclusions are supported by microscopic photographs, test reports, calculations, and references to applicable codes and standards.
Equipment failures
Vehicle defect investigations
Product liability investigations
Vehicle Defect Investigations
The failure of a critical component within a vehicle can result in a loss of control. Our analysis of a failed component can assist in assessing liability, when a vehicle defect or component failure is alleged to have caused a collision. A vehicle defect investigation may involve a failed brake or suspension component, leading to a loss of control, or a failed electrical component causing a vehicle fire. A thorough vehicle defect investigation may lead to a finding of liability against a vehicle equipment manufacturer or shop.
Vehicle Fire Investigations
A timely origin and cause investigation can provide answers to questions as to how a vehicle fire started. Even when fire damage is extensive, a thorough field investigation, including an analysis of burn patterns and the vehicle history can lead to conclusive evidence of how the fire started. Review of the vehicle recall history, or recent service records, may help to identify the cause. In the case of a suspected incendiary fire, a laboratory analysis of debris samples to identify any flammable liquids present may confirm the cause. We rely on the methodology set out in NFPA 921, and our years of experience investigating vehicle and equipment fires.
