Mechanical Engineer and Road Traffic Collision expert, Gavin Dunn, was invited to present at DWF’s Belfast Insurance Conference.
Gavin’s presentation ‘Credit Where Credit is Not Due?’ highlighted the value of forensic engineering expertise in credit hire cases when establishing the chain of causation. He provided an overview of typical credit hire cases, discussed the methods for investigating these incidents, and highlighted the potential red flags that might indicate fraud.
The starting point for such investigations is determining whether the vehicle was roadworthy at the time of the incident. Roadworthiness refers to the condition of the vehicle: simply put, it determines whether the vehicle in question was fit for use at the time of the loss.
Key factors to consider when assessing the roadworthiness of a vehicle include:
- The vehicle’s ability to move under its own power
- The MOT manual
- Adherence to The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations and Road Traffic Act legislation
To establish a vehicle’s roadworthiness, Gavin will inspect the vehicle, review photographic evidence, and third-party vehicle inspection reports such as vehicle assessor reports and repair invoices. This helps him to understand the condition of the vehicle prior to the accident, whether temporary repairs could have been carried out, and determine the visibility of any defects, to ensure there is no doubt that the loss was a direct result of the incident. He can then conclude whether the damage sustained has rendered the vehicle unroadworthy, is consistent with the incident circumstances, and can be linked to the index incident.
Gavin also shared red flags that might indicate that the damage resulted from another cause, potentially indicating fraud, before finishing with a review of relevant Hawkins’ case studies.
Gavin is a Chartered Engineer, Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and Member of the Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators. He has over 14 years of experience investigating many types of Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) throughout the UK and Ireland and has served as an expert witness in numerous criminal, civil and coroner’s courts. If you would like Gavin to present to your organisation or investigate an incident, please get in touch.
