Like a lot of us experienced during March 2020, many of my business procedures halted. Within an instant, we all had to figure out how to adapt to meet quarantine guidelines. For some, this meant prolonging important meetings or court proceedings. Even from my end on the consulting side, I felt the weight of trials and suits all being pushed from their already drawn-out timeline.

An important part of my business is conducting site inspections, which are necessary when testifying and providing forensic engineering of slip, trip and fall cases. I need to see the environmental and subject conditions that the plaintiff encountered. As part of this, both defense and plaintiff attorneys attend. When we suddenly need to stay away from others, this became difficult.

Adapting to New Guidelines

I pride myself on providing quality work no matter the conditions. Sometimes inspections feel like getting deep in the trenches; encountering rain, intense heat, or even the same dangerous conditions the plaintiff experienced. But it is some of the most exhilarating part of my work. Evaluating the scene and talking with the plaintiff and defense to understand the accident are all important factors.

As you can imagine, losing the ability to meet with both parties at the scene hinders the validity of inspections. Just as attorneys had to adapt to new ways to conduct court proceedings and depositions, I had to adapt my practices to fulfil my end. Thankfully, as we all have realized, technology has incredible capabilities.

Virtual Inspections

One of the first inspections I performed during quarantine involved an exterior staircase. In order to comply with legal requirements, I simultaneously met with both parties via video conference to complete my inspection. As I am onsite alone for the first time, I felt myself embracing the new normal as I got back into the trenches to take measurements and discuss the facts of the accident. Although it was unusual to conduct this work without the physical presence of plaintiff and defense, we were able to satisfy all our objectives. Both parties were able to observe the inspection from the comfort of their own homes.

Formidable Forensic Engineering

Concise client relations are important to me. I am here to rely upon industry accepted standards to form my conclusions, but also make sure that the client understands how those conclusions are formed. That way, they gain engineering knowledge they can apply to future potential cases and know they can rely on me to always provide them justice in the future. This is also important when considering strategy employed in each engagement.

Just as attorneys have had to adapt their procedures, I made sure to adapt mine so that we can all work together. Leveraging technology and resources has made the pandemic more bearable for us all. Though we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and my inspections have gone back to including both parties present, it is important to me that I am always considering how to adapt my practices to suit the needs of our clients and the constraints of this ever-changing world.

Please contact me through the form below or at 856-437-7900 for a complimentary consultation.

As always, Test Moore, Fail Less.

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