Can your expert tell you if a vehicle has been abused?

When an investigation reveals a vehicle fire was deliberately set, the insurer must ultimately determine who set the fire to decide how to process the claim. Depending on the circumstances of the fire, determining who set the fire can be difficult without independent witnesses, police assistance, or security video, which are often unavailable. If all that remains is the vehicle itself, how can an investigation establish a motive and culprit for a fire? One common motive is that the vehicle was abused resulting in severe mechanical damage that required a costly repair. Rather than paying for the repairs, the insured may burn the vehicle to obtain a financially favourable insurance settlement. The good news is evidence of abuse usually remains after a fire and can be recognized by a properly trained and dedicated investigator.

What is Vehicle Abuse?

Vehicle abuse describes damage that was caused by misuse such as off-roading, racing, and neglect or failing to maintain the vehicle.

Signs of Abuse

Engine and Transmission

The engine and transmission are susceptible to damage by abuse and are also two of the costliest components to repair. Therefore, if abuse is suspected, a careful analysis of the engine and transmission is required.

When severe internal engine damage occurs, the engine may fail catastrophically which renders the vehicle undrivable and leaves behind obvious evidence of the failure. In engines, a connecting rod will often break and puncture the engine block, resulting in a severe oil leak. Therefore, the investigator should always check the oil level and visually inspect the engine for signs of a catastrophic failure, even if the fire did not originate there.

In some cases, severe engine or transmission damage does not result in a catastrophic failure. When this occurs, the engine or transmission oil will show evidence of severe degradation, metal contamination, overheating, or the presence of other contaminants. Fluid samples can be collected easily using non-destructive methods and laboratory analysis of the fluids is inexpensive (less than $50). Therefore, collecting and analysing a fluid sample is a cost-effective way to determine whether the engine or transmission is damaged internally. In such cases, the engine or transmission may need to be disassembled to determine the root cause of the failure.

If examination of the engine and transmission reveals evidence of internal damage, then the vehicle owner may have had a motive to set the fire.

Abuse from Off-Roading

Off-roading may cause mechanical damage to the frame, suspension, alignment, and steering systems. Often, a significant accumulation of mud along the undercarriage is the first sign of off-roading. A careful examination of the undercarriage should be performed to look for evidence of impact damage, broken suspension and steering components, and misaligned components. If the electrical system is still functional, the investigator may be able to turn the ignition to the accessory or on position to determine whether any faults or trouble codes are present on the display.

Electronic Data

Some vehicles contain GPS data that will show the vehicle location and speed for days, weeks or months prior to the fire. This data can be retrieved and analysed using Berla iVe to determine whether the vehicle had been abused such as by racing or off-roading. This electronic data can therefore be used to supplement physical evidence obtained from the vehicle and complete a full picture of the vehicle use, condition, and potential motive for the fire.

Conclusions

A common motive for vehicle arsons is pre-fire damage that was caused by vehicle abuse, such as racing, off-roading, or neglect. Evidence of abuse typically remains after a fire and can be recognized through careful analysis of the vehicle’s mechanical systems, such as the engine, transmission, frame, suspension, and steering.

Furthermore, analysis of GPS data stored in the vehicle can confirm whether the vehicle was off-roading or racing to supplement the evidence of physical damage.

Although in Ontario, it is typically outside the private fire investigator’s scope to comment on who set an intentional fire, recognizing and reporting evidence of vehicle abuse can be helpful information for the insurance adjuster to use when processing a claim. In fact, our clients have told us when the insured was confronted with our findings of abuse that preceded an intentional fire, claims have been withdrawn.

About VForensics

VForensics specializes in investigating vehicle losses. All investigations are conducted by Ryan Cockle, a Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in recognizing vehicle abuse.

If you would like more information on how we can help you solve your vehicle claim, email us at [email protected], or call us at 289-843-7402.

About the Author

Ryan is a Mechanical Engineer with over 11 years of experience in forensic vehicle investigations, including fires, mechanical failures, and fraud claims. Ryan has built a reputation for providing reliable opinions because of his meticulous, detail-oriented approach. Ryan is an Executive Director and former President of the Canadian Association of Fire Investigators (CAFI) South Central Ontario Chapter, and member of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI), and International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI).