Services provided by Hance Consulting

Accident investigation and reconstruction.

Accident investigation and reconstruction is the art of analyzing all physical and witness evidence for an accident to establish the most likely sequence of events. It is often the case that witnesses will vary in their accounts of what happened, sometimes a great deal, which can make determining what happened difficult and sometimes could even point to an incorrect conclusion. Where witness evidence is relied on solely, there is a risk, albeit small, of prosecution and / or civil proceedings against the wrong driver.

Accident investigation and reconstruction relies on analyzing all of the available evidence to give the most reliable account of what happened. My goal, with every case that I am involved, is to objectively and accurately reconstruct the events with the highest possible degree of accuracy that the available evidence will allow.

Interviewing witnesses and taking statements.

I am skilled in interview techniques and have many years experience of interrogating witnesses to draw out every bit of information they have. It is the practice in many police force areas (the Metropolitan Police for example) to send a questionnaire form to witnesses to road accidents for them to fill out without any assistance from a professional witness interviewer. Consequently the ‘evidence’ captured is all too often inaccurate, as much opinion as fact, and totally lacking in detail.

I provide a witness interviewing service whereby a professional interviewer will interview witnesses and accurate, detailed witness evidence will be obtained.

Scene examination, surveying, and plan drawing.

I will visit the scene and can complete a full survey for plan preparation where requested. Even though the accident may have been some considerable period before, nevertheless valuable information can still be obtained from a thorough examination of a crash scene. For example, lines of sight can be established, and questions such as ‘are the road signs and markings correct?’ can be addressed.

Accurate and detailed scale plans of a crash scene are an effective tool in accident investigation, and can be invaluable at trial.

Photography.

Good quality digital photographs, which complement a scale plan, can also be provided. I have years of experience of crash scene photography and have a keen eye for what images are needed. Well-prepared plans and photographs can make all the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful legal action.

Vehicle examinations.

I am experienced in the examination of vehicles involved in accidents to determine if any defects existed that could have influenced vehicular behaviour at the time of an incident. I am also trained in the examination and detailed measurement of damage, which can be used to estimate impact speed and give other valuable clues, such as direction of travel, for example.

Tachograph chart analysis.

Tachograph records from large goods and passenger carrying vehicles can help to establish what a vehicle was doing at the time of an incident. I am trained and have years of experience of analyzing tachograph charts. I am also trained and experienced in the downloading and interpretation of data captured by the VDO Kienzle Incident Data Recorder, such as fitted by many police forces nationwide.

Detailed reports prepared.

At the conclusion of an enquiry a detailed, clear and concise report will be prepared, setting out the stages of the enquiry, the evidence analysis and the conclusions drawn. The reports are always worded so that any person, irrespective of their technical knowledge, will be able to follow what is written.

Expert testimony.

Where cases come to trial it is vital that the forensic accident investigator is able to put across his findings in court, in a clear, concise and confident manner. I have many years experience of presenting expert testimony and am very aware of the importance of being impartial and objective when in the witness box.

Insurance fraud from staged accidents investigated.

Evidence is mounting to show the scale of the problem of insurance fraud from staged accidents, where undetectable injury (whiplash for example) is claimed. Already much work is being done by insurance investigators to detect where there is a history of claims being made by one or a group of people. Where there is scope for more work with this problem is in examining the scene and vehicles (where available) to determine if the incident as claimed is physically possible. I can provide this service.