1. Initial Contact and Case Review

Before accepting any assignment, I ask for the evidence and information available at the time of contact. This allows me to review the matter on its merits before committing to it, rather than accepting work first and forming an opinion afterward.

2. Selective Acceptance

I only accept matters where I believe my involvement can materially assist. I decline matters where the evidence is overwhelming and my involvement would not change the outcome. In those matters I will tell you so on the first call.

Example: if dashcam footage, cellphone forensics, and independent witness statements already establish fault beyond dispute, I would decline, or narrow the engagement to a specific technical point that remains genuinely contested.

3. Scope Proposal

Once I have reviewed the available evidence, I submit a written proposal covering the work I recommend, the depth the analysis requires, any travel for hearings or trial, and how my involvement will interface with the procedural stages of the matter as it progresses.

4. Costing and Terms of Engagement

The proposal is accompanied by a costing estimate and the formal terms of engagement. Most matters proceed on a retainer, deposit, or upfront payment basis.

5. Payment in Advance

I typically require payment before work begins. This keeps my advice independent of any outstanding balance.

6. Detailed Evidence Request

On acceptance, I issue a case-specific evidence request. This list is built around the particulars of the matter and can be extensive. I commit fully to understanding a case before forming a view on it. This is also why I limit the number of engagements I carry at any one time.

7. Preservation and Inspection Guidance

Where the scene, vehicle, or exhibits still need to be examined, I advise counsel on what the inspecting expert should document, and what to watch for when the other side inspects.

Example: confirming that scene geometry, sight lines, and surface conditions are measured directly, rather than taken from a police sketch alone.

8. Evidence Recommendations

I issue detailed recommendations on the evidence to locate, secure, request, or demand, directed at counsel or the instructing party to action.

Example: recommending a formal request for vehicle event data recorder (EDR) data before it is overwritten, or for CCTV retention before the standard deletion cycle runs.

9. Ongoing Evidence and Disclosure Requests

As my review develops, I may submit further rounds of questions covering available evidence, newly disclosed evidence, or gaps that require formal requests, disclosure, or submission.

10. Integration of Admissions and Shortfalls

Where I have proposed that specific evidence be requested or demanded, and an opposing party admits that it is absent, lost, or was never collected, I integrate that admission and the resulting evidentiary shortfall into my advice to counsel.

Example: a documented absence of maintenance records or inspection logs can itself become a point of analysis, going to the standard of care rather than to the collision mechanics alone.

11. In-Depth Analysis of the Evidence Bundle

Any physical evidence, digital evidence, expert reports, or other material within the bundle that bears on the expert issues, the depositions, or anticipated cross-examination is addressed in depth, not summarized in passing.

12. Reporting

Once all exchanges, disclosures, submissions, admissions, and analysis relevant to my scope are complete, I deliver a privileged memorandum to counsel on the issues under review.

13. Post-Submission Support

I remain available after delivery for guidance during depositions, further submissions, preparation of your expert for any joint expert conference, and trial conferences.

14. Presence Through Trial

I remain present in a consulting capacity throughout trial.

15. Live Technical Guidance During Testimony

During the testimony and cross-examination of the opposing experts, I remain in court to provide live guidance to counsel on the technical aspects of what is being said.

Example: flagging in real time where an opposing expert has misapplied a formula, misstated a measurement, or contradicted their own report, so counsel can raise it in cross-examination while the witness is still on the stand.

16. No Testimony

I am retained as a consulting expert and do not testify. If your matter needs a testifying expert, I help you define what that expert must address, and I review their work before it is disclosed.