Marine Investigations

 David H. Pascoe, Marine Surveyor

 

Introduction to
the business of marine investigations

Investigation to Court Testimony

Expand Business!

Marine surveyors: Expand your marine business! Conducting marine investigations can help free you from the limitations of a seasonal business and expand your business opportunities and income.

Who Hires?

Who hires marine investigators? In addition to insurance companies, specialist investigators merge their specialized pleasure craft knowledge with investigative abilities for a broad range of clientele.

Clientele

These can range from boat owners with serious warranty claim disputes and faulty repair issues to being hired by lawyers as investigators as either fact witnesses or expert witnesses. Marine investigators often work for boat owners who are having trouble with insurance claim issues, assisting the boat owner obtain a proper claims settlement.

Marine Investigations - The first and only book of its kind on the subject of investigating pleasure craft casualties and other issues. Although written primarily with the North American market in mind, international surveyors will find that the principles employed here are equally applicable to where ever marine surveyors are to be found.

About the Book - by the Author

This book was written because I perceive that there is a great need for more qualified investigators which has gone unmet for far too long. Moreover, as boating continues to grow, the need for more investigators will also continue to grow. Unfortunately, there is virtually no literature available on the subject. Equally unfortunate is my perception that of the few practicing marine investigators, far too many do not have a sound understanding of the proper role and function of the investigator. I propose to fulfill both those need.

This book uses a format similar to my marine surveying book "Surveying Fiberglass Power Boats"; in that I cover the subject from beginning to end, starting with the basics of establishing a business, then moving on to basic fundamentals, including the vital issues of insurance and law. Next comes the nuts and bolts of investigating, along with the essential subject of conducting interrogations, followed by how to write effective reports and ending with the essentials of how to be a good legal witness and testifying at deposition and in court.

There is virtually no limit to the number of situations that can give rise to the need for an investigation. The most common employers of investigators are, of course, insurance companies, but also lawyers, boat owners themselves as well as affected second and third parties. Though it would take a number of books to cover even just the major possibilities, I have concentrated on the most frequent events such as fire, sinking, machinery damage, theft and fraud in considerable detail.

Far too often the investigator becomes an advocate for his client, resulting in this becoming a partisan who produces a report which is biased and obviously prejudicial. The result of this malpractice is usually a report that is easily discredited during legal proceedings, and thus becomes a disservice to the client. Investigators get themselves into this bind mainly because they can't perceive a way around it. But there is and this book carefully explains how to avoid falling into the trap of becoming a paid partisan whose indiscretions are ultimately revealed and he is made a fool of in court.

Learning to become an effective investigator is not difficult; rather, it is more a matter of tenacity, gaining experience and following a few simple rules of engagement. Few marine surveyors actually perform investigations on a full time basis. For most, it is a major part of a diversified professional range of services that dovetails very nicely with any type of survey business. Branching off into investigations is especially good for those who are working in marginal boating areas where it is particularly difficult to obtain a steady flow of work.

The establishment of a good reputation based upon effective, professional work is critical to developing an investigative book of business from a variety of sources. This book covers virtually all of the essentials needed to achieve that goal.

About the Author:

David Pascoe was certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors in 1972 after serving a five year apprenticeship with a family owned marine surveying firm. During that time he has served as a Correspondent to the American Institute of Marine Underwriters and provided investigative services to both domestic and international underwriters.

He is also a licensed independent adjuster in the State of Florida and has conducted hundreds of marine casualty and pre-litigation investigations, both domestic and international, and frequently testifies as an expert witness.

David Pascoe is the author of "Surveying Fiberglass Power Boats" (2001, 2nd Edition - 2005), "Buyers’ Guide to Outboard Boats" (2002) and "Mid Size Power Boats" (2003).

Contents-All | Introduction | Order Online