Hawkins was delighted to attend and sponsor this year’s Asian Claims Convention (AICLA) in Kuala Lumpur, where Forensic Expert and Singapore Regional Director, Dr David Rose, delivered a presentation.
David’s presentation: ‘The Use of Technology and Teamwork for the Determination of the Root Cause of Losses’ discussed how technological developments can assist Road Traffic Collision (RTC) investigations. His talk also included case studies demonstrating how Hawkins’ investigators can collaborate across the globe to reach timely conclusions. David compared how forensic experts investigated cases in the past, with current practices using the current technology available and included a brief look at what this could mean for future investigations.
David described how past investigations would happen at a much slower pace, and that multiple choke points limited the dissemination of information. It could often be weeks or months after an incident had occurred that a request to investigate would be received and then getting to the incident site could take a long time to organise.
Nowadays, with everything being digital, communication can be almost instantaneous and geographical locations are no longer a limiting factor. Sometimes investigators are able to interview witnesses and request CCTV and event data before even visiting the site.
During a vehicle inspection, investigators would look at the associated vehicle and inspect the lightbulbs to determine if the headlights/brake lights were illuminated at the time of impact, if seatbelts had been melted/abraded, or whether there were skid marks on the road. The introduction of LEDs and Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) removed the need for such methods.
Technology has continued to advance with on-board computers (EDRs – Event Data Recorders) in cars allowing investigators to analyse more data along with global databases of vehicle recalls and safety bulletins. David also highlighted that modern technology has increased the speed at which a report will be generated thanks to the world of instant messaging.
David was joined by Mechanical Engineer, Divyeruthra Muniandy and Electrical Engineer, Albert Richardson, who were on hand to discuss their areas of specialism and how Hawkins can advise, investigate, and assist at any stage of an incident.
David joined Hawkins in 2001 and has carried out over 1000 investigations, with cases ranging from small-scale incidents to multi-million-pound losses involving vehicles, houses, shops, warehouses, factories, petrochemical plants and ships. He is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates Court, Crown Court, High Court, Arbitration and Mediation in the UK; the Supreme Court and a Public Inquiry in Singapore, Guangzhou Maritime Court (People’s republic of China) and the Samut Prakan Provincial Court in Thailand.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like David or another Hawkins investigator from any of our disciplines to present to your organisation.
