ERA’s consultants act as experts in both the UK (including Single Joint Experts) and around the world. ERA’s independence enables clients to be confident that a professional, confidential, impartial and expert opinion will be provided throughout the often lengthy dispute process. ERA provides technical assistance to courts, solicitors and
accident investigators.

ERA’s technical expertise ERA has particular expertise in the following areas:
		investigation of electrical, electronic and mechanical failures
		electromagnetic capability and radio interference
		electrical, electronic and mechanical design and safety
		compliance with environmental regulation pertaining to electrical products (RoHS and WEEE Directives)
ERA can deploy a range of skills depending on the requirement including:
		collecting evidence (both physical and oral)
		assessing evidence with respect to technical and regulatory requirements
		establishing the sequence of events before, during and after failure
		diagnosing the root cause of a failure or particular circumstance
		reviewing design, production, operation and maintenance practices to establish cause, effect and responsibility

Disputes and litigation
Technical evidence often clarifies who is at fault and how. ERA works for solicitors, companies and courts providing expert witness statements and reports to support claims. These can be for a single party or joint expert witness situations. ERA can also assist in the case of patent disputes and in developing documentation to support due diligence.

Case studies
Here are just a few examples of cases we have investigated to demonstrate the breadth of our capability.

Vehicles: The electronics were suspected as the cause of loss of control of a car leading to a crash. ERA identified defects which appeared to affect the vehicle’s stability. Expert witness evidence relating to failure of a metallic component involved in a motorcycle accident.

Lighting: Damage to the lighting electronics caused by heat from the light source led to failure of an industrial lighting network. ERA advised on the nature of the fault in the design and where this originated. Appointed by the Crown Prosecution Service as the expert regarding a fire in a domestic lighting installation in a criminal case concerning a fatality.

RoHS compliance: Provided reasoned opinion as part of a companies due diligence in showing compliance with this directive involving scope, validity of exemptions, and avoiding enforcement action.

Transport: Expert witness on an automatic control system for a driverless train system. Expert witness and failure investigation of cable in motorway communication system. Demonstrated 'fitness for purpose' and expert witness regarding LV wiring in ship.

Electrical power: Expert witness for investigation of power station generator failure and subsequent arbitration on costs. Expert witness regarding transmission voltage power transformers damaged in transit by sea. 132kV oil-filled cable failures investigation and expert witness. 132kV XLPE insulated cable joints failure investigation and expert witness. Interconnector (275 kV) expert witness to Public Enquiry on the feasibility of underground routing. LV busbars failure investigation and expert witness.

Further support
ERA provides a wide range of technical consultancy plus public and bespoke training courses and a technical support scheme AccessERA.