Our Road Traffic Collision Experts are trained and experienced in preparing reports on all types of criminal and civil cases involving the use of motor vehicles. These include Road Traffic Act offences with or without accidents/collisions, offences against the person involving the use of motor vehicles, investigation of driver behaviour and civil cases involving personal injury claims and insurance fraud.
In addition to providing reports in criminal prosecutions and civil cases, our Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Experts can provide reports in disciplinary matters and internal investigations, including courts martial. All our consultants have acted as single joint experts in civil cases.
Collisions are often the end result of a chain of events, with a combination of factors causing or contributing to them. These may not always be under the control of the driver; for example, road layout and condition, poor lines of sight, vehicle component failure, difficult weather conditions and the action of other road users or pedestrians, all have their part to play.
Our collision reconstruction experts can take measurements, photographs and video drive-throughs of accident loci, examinations of vehicle damage, distance/speed/time calculations, assessment of lines of sight and road layouts, examination of CCTV/police video footage, and investigation of other possible contributory factors. We can also evaluate a range of parameters using specialist software to model certain incidents.
Other Road Traffic Act offences may require assessment of vehicle speeds, manner of driving, tachograph records, safety of loads on goods vehicles and misuse and verification of journey routes/timings. We prepare reports in all these areas.
Event/Incident/Journey Data Recorders (black box recorders) and Automatic Vehicle Location Systems (AVLS) are fitted to a growing number of vehicles; in particular those used by the emergency services, fleet vehicles and younger driver vehicles. The analysis of the information they contain is essential when a vehicle fitted with such equipment is involved in an incident. We analyse such data and utilise it in the reconstruction of an incident. If you would like to understand how incident data recorders are used in accident investigation, we can provide appropriate training.
We have provided reports in criminal cases of murder, attempted murder and actual bodily harm involving the use of vehicles. In particular, the key issue has been the allegation of intent resulting in contact between a vehicle and an injured party. Examination of contact damage to the vehicle can determine speed and direction at impact, examination of lines of sight may determine the existence of blind spots and investigation of mechanical defects may support claims of loss of control.
In one case involving a charge of actual bodily harm, we reported that an examination of the vehicle revealed the damage sustained was not consistent with the witness evidence. This was agreed by the prosecution expert and the case discontinued. In another case of sexual assault, our experts were able to demonstrate that the allegations were not physically possible in the space available!
We can prepare reports in cases involving stolen vehicles and/or stolen vehicle parts.
One such case involved car dismantling and a very large number of vehicle parts. The Defendant was faced with a conspiracy charge on the basis that he was involved with others and handled a large number of the alleged stolen parts. We were able to examine the parts and confirm some items as stolen, however many more could not be separated from legitimate business. The Defendant pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of handing some of the stolen parts.
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