Expert Witness And Litigation Support

If you ever need to present a complete case, having an expert witness can make all the difference. Each of our experts is trained to not only understand the smallest technical details but also be able to cohesively put those details in terms of a larger picture.

Construction Defect

The last thing the owner of a construction site needs is construction accidents or defects but they do happen and when they do, you need an expert to help understand why something happened and if it should have happened in the first place.

Our team has worked on many construction defect cases and can help with answers some key questions such as:

Key Questions:

Was the structural design adequate or caused the failure?
Was material integrity compromised?
Did the team invest enough time and resources in to ground compaction prior to the structure being built?
How many years was the storm water system designed for?
Did the concrete structure collapse due to poor construction techniques or did it fail due to inadequate structural strength?

Fire Investigation

Fires can be very tragic for everyone involved and having our experts help with the Cause and Origin investigation can get you real answers. Our team is experienced in dealing with other investigators, law enforcement officials and fire departments. Regardless of how long a fire investigation might take we dedicate key experts to your case to help determine the right sequence of events, the origin of fire (faulty product cause, wiring, arson etc) and present the findings with clear recommendations for improvement. Some of our key areas of experience include:

Key Questions:

Cause and origin determination for residential fires
Examination of complex products to evaluate their potential to have caused the fire.
The investigation of process plant fires.
Dust explosions (coal, grain dust, etc.)
Natural gas explosions
Spontaneous ignition
Pyrophoric materials

Product Liability

The first thing about product liability cases is determining what happened. In order to understand you need a panel of experts from different backgrounds such as an engineering design expert, electrical engineer expert or a mechanical engineering expert. We have a full time that supports all those functions and works together to get you answers.

We can assist in determining if the product failed because it was used improperly, was made incorrectly, designed incorrectly or a variety of other causes.

Past Experience:

Exercise equipment
Recreational vehicles
Commercial products
Chemical adhesives
Circuit boards
Laptop computers
Automobiles

Machine Guarding

One of the biggest concerns when dealing with moving parts machinery is minimizing any chance of loss of life or limb. Should you have an investigation into an accident involving moving machinery our experts can help you find the answers you need. Some of the key questions we ask are:

1. Did the employee take an unnecessary risk? 2. Did the employer put the employee at risk? 3. Was the equipment poorly designed at the start?

It is paramount that once an accident has occured, the involved employee is interviewed, the machinery is taken offline and all supporting evidence is properly preserved for the investigation.

Reviewing and implementing machine guards where needed helps mitigate the possibility of accidents and allows for the future prevention of similar mistakes.

Key Questions:

The design of the guarding. Does it provide the intended function and is it designed such that it cannot easily be removed?
The installation of the guarding? Was it properly installed?
The condition of the guards? Do they regularly inspect the equipment and do they check that the guards are still in place?
Do the machine guards create a greater hazard? Do they lead to the potential someone will try to avoid them and end up injured?
Are there labels and warnings on the machine to tell the employee that the guards need to remain in place? Are the warnings in more than one language? Do they need to be in more than one language?
Were the employees trained on the operation of the equipment irrespective of the guards?
Are there safety features that prevent the machine from operating if the guard is removed?

Safety/workplace Safety

Our team has worked in real facilities, designed effective machine guards and participated in active investigations so we have the experience to help you set up a safe workplace. We can help reduce the chances of accidents but should you have an unfortunate incident we can be on-site to understand what happened and implement preventative measures. There are many key questions that must be addressed in any workplace safety incident.

Key Areas to Review:

Review of equipment – number of moving parts? Level of maintenance? Active guards in place? Adequate employee training specific to that machine?
Review of training – number and frequency of training classes? Ongoing employee education?
Review of facility – How well maintained is the facility? Is there proper clean up protocols? Are employees coached on maintaining their work stations?
Government work standards – Are standards being communicated, made visible to all emoloyees and adhered to?
Internal policies – are good policies and procedures in place to minimize accidents?
Protective Equipment – Is safety equipment being provided to employees? Are they being training on how to use it? Are they being monitored to ensure they are using it?

Subrogation Investigation

We partner with some of the largest subrogation firms in Canada. Any incident that leads to an insurance claim caused by a third party must first look at identifying subrogation potential, as this may impact the way in which the claim is handled. When it comes to subrogation-related matters you need an expert that is immediately on-site and focused on maximizing the potential for recovery.

Examples of past experience:

Civil/Structural, Construction Defects, Roofing Claims, Water Intrusion
Digital Forensics and Cyber Security
Electrical and Mechanical Failures
Energy, Refineries, Turbines, Power Plants
Fire and Explosion, Flame Spread, Product Liability
Fire Protection, Sprinkler and Alarm Failures
Healthcare and Biosciences
Marine/Cargo Losses
Equipment Failures