A fire or explosion on a project or in a facility is a nightmare scenario for any company – assets get damaged and destroyed, workflow halts, and lives are potentially placed in danger. However, there are ways to make this situation far less stressful for yourself, your employees, and your business. One of these ways is by hiring a professional to determine your business’s liability, what went wrong, and how to avoid future incidents. Here are five reasons you should hire a forensic engineering consultant after a severe failure.
Determining the Cause
Following an engineering failure that results in structural damages or bodily harm, the first step is to determine the cause of the incident. In many instances, the root causes of these problems aren’t evident to the untrained eye. A forensic engineering consultant is specially trained at piecing together damages to create a clear image. In the process, they can identify specific engineering problems that are relevant in litigations and when determining liability. For instance, the issue may have stemmed from problems with manufacturing, removing the liability from your party.
Litigation Aid
In certain situations, engineering failures call for legal action. Businesses get sued all the time over accidents that, sometimes, aren’t their fault. A forensic engineering consultant collects detailed data and information to accurately determine the guilty party, potentially saving you a lot of money in settlement and legal fees. If you’re currently in litigation concerning a failure, hiring a consultant can significantly help your case.
Liability
An engineering failure is not only dangerous – it’s costly. Depending on the accident, your business can suffer significant structural and equipment damages. Additionally, injuries or fatalities can result in hefty legal fees. With a forensic engineering consultant, you can ensure that the proper liability gets determined. Identifying liability is essential when working with insurance companies, too. Often, these insurance companies hire forensic engineering consultants to ensure they aren’t paying out for things they don’t cover.
Preventing Future Incidents
Once the dust settles and you deal with liability and insurance following an engineering failure, it’s essential to avoid that situation by learning from prior incidents. A forensic engineering consultant doesn’t just provide information related to insurance and litigations – their data also shows you ways to prevent future accidents from occurring. And prevention is key when looking after your business’s success and your employees’ well-being. Sometimes these professionals can assist in finding other consultants capable of creating better prevention plans for the future.
Saving Lives
Most of the reasons on this list relate to protecting the success of your business. However, the number one reason you should consider hiring forensic engineering consultants following an incident is to protect human lives. As a business owner, ensuring a safe working environment is your number one priority, and a consultant can help you accomplish this.
There are plenty of reasons you should hire a forensic engineering consultant following an incident on your project or at your facility. Contact us at Dreiym today to learn more about our forensic services and how we can help your business.
