Hawkins - Forensic Investigators

Civil Engineering

NEWI

Civil/Highway Engineer

 

FIHIE

Fellow of The Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers

MIHT

Member of the Institution of Highways & Transportation

MIAT

Member of the Institute of Asphalt Technology

MaPS

Member of the Association for Project Safety

Mike's civil and highway engineering career began at Parkman Consultant Engineers where he worked on several major projects, including the St Helens M62 link road, and the A570 Ormskirk Bypass. Specialising in traffic flows, preliminary design, and the detailed design of roundabouts, junctions and road links, Mike joined Gifford and Partners to work on the design of the Second Dee Crossing.

Mike joined Cheshire County Council's Engineering Service in 1994 and became a well respected Senior Engineer. During this progression, he led a team of highway safety inspectors and the third party claims section of the Engineering Service. In that position, Mike gained an enormous amount of experience in the pursuit and defence of legal claims, and appeared in court countless times as a witness. His knowledge of highway inspection regimes and the cause and treatment of highway defects is second to none.

As a Highway Inspector, Mike attended numerous road traffic accidents, often during Police investigations. Working alongside both the Police and the parties involved, Mike often had to give evidence regarding the possible contribution of the highway to a traffic accident.

Promoted to Senior Engineer, Mike was responsible for the design and construction of many large and complex road and drainage schemes. During this time, he gained particular expertise in the design, performance and specification of road building, drainage and surfacing materials and overall project safety. Mike has experience as a Construction, Design and Management (CDM) Co-ordinator and a checker of health and safety documentation. This particular experience enabled Mike to gain Construction Skills Certification Scheme accreditation at Manager level.

With some sixteen years of civil and highway engineering experience under his belt, Mike joined Hawkins as an Associate in August 2007 and began working on forensic highway investigation cases. Mike gave evidence in the Crown Court, just six weeks after joining Hawkins, where his expertise helped a driver charged with causing death by dangerous driving to be convicted of the much lesser charge of careless driving. His assistance and professionalism prompted letters of thanks from both the driver and the solicitor.

Since then Mike has undertaken a variety of forensic highway, civil engineering and site safety investigations relating to such factors as the road surface, visibility, drainage, layout and project safety. In addition to identifying or negating any potential contributory factors with the highway, he is also putting his road layout expertise, experience with on site handling of traffic accidents, and excellent mathematic skills to practice in the recreation and causation of road traffic accidents.

Although his highway investigations for Hawkins take him all around the United Kingdom, Mike is currently centrally based in the Manchester office.