Expert witness assessment. Is your complex legal case needing expert witness input?Are you having trouble assessing what experts are needed?And your case is being delayed by this? Expert Triage assesses complex cases.
Often building related defect cases are much more complex than they appear and need more than one expert type to understand and solve the issue.
Choosing the right expertise to help solve the case is a complex matter and it needs specific expertise which we have at Expert Triage.
Much time is wasted with many legal cases around this issue. Experts are called only to find that other experts were needed as part of the solution process.
Meanwhile the case definition changes and you are chasing your tail!
Time and money is wasted in obtaining expert reports to find that the expert only covered part of the picture.
As a result, legal cases are ill-defined due to the improper assessment of the root causes of building defects.
Often the initial case questions are quickly proved to be inadequate to cover the evidence required.
See our case examples which bring this to life immediately
1. Cracks in building A are attributed substantially to construction activity on building B. Lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant prematurely choose structural engineers to determine the cause of cracks when they should have undertaken a timeline reconstruction which showed other likely causes and associated experts required to analyse the case. The true level of impact and resultant cause of the cracks was determined by several forms of analysis by several experts.
2.Building X and Building Y share a boundary with only 100mm gap between. After years of cohabitation water damage occurs on a skirting in Building X and is attributed to Building Y. Structural engineers are called in by both parties to analyse the issue with no clear definition of the actual cause of the sudden damp. A brief historical view shows the fact that one building being built after the other contributed to the damp conditions when other factors coincided. Structural engineers were not the appropriate first responder expert and thousands could have been saved with the right expertise at the start.
3. A fire starts on a balcony on a multi-level apartment tower and soon infiltrates the building. Analysis shows that the fire found its way into the building through a vent in the bathroom with inadequate fire resistance. Several expert types review the technical cause. A more forensic analysis shows that the cause originated in the Design and Construct nature of the building contract.
How can we help Expert Triage
Our new Triage assessment starts at the right point. We review the case forensically and determine what expertise is required to provide necessary supporting evidence before experts are even called.
We then determine what expert types are needed to fully clarify the problem and its causes.
An assessment report is created prior to appointment of experts.
The assessment report creates a solid foundation for your subsequent legal brief and selection of the right experts.
Our motto
Always focus on the expertise then the expert needed.
Our Credentials:
Expert Triage Cred in a nutshell
- Registered expert with Unisearch, Experts Direct, Nationwide Experts
- In the media, see our news articles published in independent news outlets
- Industry Recognition: Key articles recognised and industry supported
- Research Credentials: Recognised industry level research at UNSW BE and WSU
- Dr Drane is an Invited Guest Speaker: At national conferences Strata Community Title 2015 and Building Regulatory Reform Summit 2019
- Ministerial Recognition: Defects research and initiative recognized by NSW Ministers
- Social media initiative: Linked In Group called The Property Development Doctor cuts new ground
About Dr Jonathan Drane
Dr Jonathan Drane is a recognized industry expert in complex property and construction matters with an emphasis on building defects and their systemic causes.
He is a registered expert witness with key expert agencies and his research, articles and initiatives have received acclaim at Ministerial, Government, Industry and Academic levels.
He has helped guide legal cases with his forensic and analytical approach to unravelling the cause of defects and draws on both research methods and extensive experience.
His key focus with Expert Triage is to ensure that the legal case and associated legal analysis chooses the right expertise needed before the actual expert is appointed.
Jonathan is also founder and director of Optimum City Research.
