Having obtained a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering, Patrick spent two years designing sub-sea wellhead equipment for the North Sea oil industry. He then returned to Leeds University to carry out research into the wear of polymers used in artificial hip joints. Having gained a PhD, he continued his research and lectured Mechanical Engineering at Leeds University.
Patrick joined Dr J H Burgoyne and Partners LLP in 2000 to investigate incidents involving personal injury and mechanical failure for insurers and solicitors. During this time the findings of his investigations were used in numerous court cases, both civil and criminal, and he attended arbitrations and mediations to present expert evidence.
In 2008 Patrick joined Hawkins in our Bristol office where he continues to use his expertise to investigate incidents of personal injury and mechanical failure. Patrick’s cases have involved the safety of systems of work and the failure of engineering components in commercial and domestic installations. These cases can require the analysis of stress and failure modes of a variety of materials, loads generated by static and moving bodies, thermodynamics and fluid flow as well as the safety of systems of work and the safety of interlocking systems intended to prevent access to hazardous areas.
His investigations have covered a range of situations including accidents at children’s playgrounds, leisure parks, slipping accidents, accidents at work involving contact with moving machinery, manual handling incidents, the failure of cranes and lift machinery, product liability, structural failure, damage due to high winds and the effectiveness of security systems.
