Materials Engineer and Hawkins’ Head of Marine, Dr Sophie Parsons, presented to the West of England P&I Club claims team.
The presentation ‘Cargo Claims: How to Make the Most of Your Forensic Expert’, discussed how a Hawkins investigator would conduct a cargo investigation, and included details of the best practices to ensure an investigation reaches a timely and accurate conclusion.
Sophie explained that an expert gives their opinion based on the available evidence and so need to be suitably qualified and unbiased, as well as able to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the underlying facts. She went on to discuss Hawkins’ investigator code of conduct and the importance of maintaining professionalism when investigating a case. This involves remaining impartial, not advocating a case, not engaging in case related discussion online, confining themselves to their area of expertise and avoiding laboratory testing or experiments without other parties being present.
She also presented case studies demonstrating the type of claims that can arise from mechanical or materials problems during shipping such as the failure of lashing gear, through to fires occurring whilst transporting IMDG cargo.
Sophie ended the presentation by detailing best practice steps for ensuring clients get the most out of an expert:
- Contact an expert as soon as you receive news of the incident
- Help the expert get on-site as soon as possible
- Provide the expert with surveyor details as soon as possible and inform the surveyor that they must assist the expert as much as possible
- Allow the expert the freedom to contact other parties to make arrangements quickly for an inspection
- Provide the expert with as many high-resolution images as possible so that they can prepare appropriately for the inspection
- Liaise with port agents so that the expert can focus on the technical side of the job, rather than the logistical arrangement
Dr Sophie Parsons is a Chartered Engineer and a fellow of the Institution of Materials, Minerals and Mining. She specialises in materials failure analysis and corrosion incidents, in both marine and land-based environments. As a materials engineer, Sophie has conducted investigations involving the failure/corrosion of glass & ceramics, plastics and metal, and is particularly experienced at investigating lift and wire rope failures and criminal work involving trace evidence. On the marine side, Sophie is highly experienced in investigating the failure of marine coatings, the liquefaction of Group A cargoes and their associated laboratory testing, as well as incidents involving cargo and hull damage.
If you would like Sophie, or any other of our experts from any of our disciplines, to present to your organisation, or investigate a failure, do not hesitate to contact us.
