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Forensic Hydrologist Richard Keightley was invited as a guest presenter by global law firm Kennedys to share his expertise on the growing complexity of flood-related insurance claims in a changing climate in their Property Damage webinar.
Joining Kennedys’ Adam Blanchard and Tara Mukerji, Richard explored how climate change is reshaping the risk landscape, driving an increase in weather-related claims, higher costs, and mounting challenges around insurability and resilience across the insurance and property sectors.
His presentation provided an expert overview of the key causes of flood claims, from extreme weather events to drainage failures, infrastructure issues, and design or construction defects, highlighting how multiple factors often combine to cause losses. He emphasised that as severe weather events become more frequent, many incidents may no longer be attributable to third-party fault, making liability assessments more complex.
Richard also outlined the importance of detailed technical investigations in distinguishing between natural events and human or operational failures, using hydrological data, modelling, and site analysis to support or defend claims.
The session offered practical insight into the evolving challenges facing insurers and legal professionals as they respond to increasingly complex flood risks in a climate-affected world.
Richard Keightley is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager and Chartered Environmentalist. He specialises in the investigation of flooding, water ingress and drainage issues, and has provided CPR-35 expert witness evidence in civil claims for both claimants and defendants. Richard joined Hawkins in 2017 as part of our civil engineering team, having previously worked at two major engineering consultancies, a water and sewerage company, and New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Register to view Kennedys’ Property Damage webinar here: Property damage webinar
Or read one of Richard’s previous Insight articles on the subject: Basement Drainage Failures: Forensic Insights
