EXPERT TRIAGE:

Expert witness selection made simple.

Assessing your complex cases

  • Is your complex legal case needing expert input?
  • Are you having trouble assessing what experts are needed?
  • And your case is being delayed by this?

Often building related defect cases are much more complex than they appear and need more than one expert type to understand and solve the issue.

Choosing the right expertise to help solve the case is a complex matter and it needs specific expertise which we have at Expert Triage.

 

Much time is wasted with many legal cases around this issue. Experts are called only to find that other experts were needed as part of the solution process.

Meanwhile the case definition changes and you are chasing your tail!

Time and money is wasted in obtaining expert reports to find that the expert only covered part of the picture.

As a result, legal cases are ill-defined due to the improper assessment of the root causes of building defects.

Often the initial case questions are quickly proved to be inadequate to cover the evidence required.

 
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See our case examples which bring this to life immediately

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Example 1

The Cracked Building
Cracks in building A are attributed substantially to construction activity on building B. Lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant prematurely choose structural engineers to determine the cause of cracks when they should have undertaken a timeline reconstruction which showed other likely causes and associated experts required to analyse the case. The true level of impact and resultant cause of the cracks was determined by several forms of analysis by several experts.
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Example 2

The Mystery Damp
Building X and Building Y share a boundary with only 100mm gap between. After years of cohabitation water damage occurs on a skirting in Building X and is attributed to Building Y. Structural engineers are called in by both parties to analyse the issue with no clear definition of the actual cause of the sudden damp. A brief historical view shows the fact that one building being built after the other contributed to the damp conditions when other factors coincided. Structural engineers were not the appropriate first responder expert and thousands could have been saved with the right expertise at the start.
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Example 3

The Raging Fire
A fire starts on a balcony on a multi-level apartment tower and soon infiltrates the building. Analysis shows that the fire found its way into the building through a vent in the bathroom with inadequate fire resistance. Several expert types review the technical cause. A more forensic analysis shows that the cause originated in the Design and Construct nature of the building contract.

How can we help

Our new Triage assessment starts at the right point. We review the case forensically and determine what expertise is required to provide necessary supporting evidence before experts are even called.

We then determine what expert types are needed to fully clarify the problem and its causes.

An assessment report is created prior to appointment of experts.

The assessment report creates a solid foundation for your subsequent legal brief and selection of the right experts.

Our motto

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  • I worked with John on a development in Townsville and found him to be a wealth of knowledge and he provided assistance whenever asked.

    Andrew Staehr, Director at Archers The Strata Professionals

  • John was capable of grasping complex legal problems and assisting us to deliver practical outcomes for his client. On a personal level John is a great person to work with, he made a difficult job enjoyable and I always like dealing with people like that. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend John in the future.

    Heather Collins, Investment Manager at Omni Bridgeway

  • Jon is a highly experienced property specialist with extensive knowledge of the construction industry. He is detailed in his approach to problem solving and readily takes on issues. I would recommend Jon as a valued member of any team.

    David Harker Advisory Board Member at Watch Facts, Greenshoots Capital

  • I worked with Jonathann on the Dalgety Tower Project and would highly recommend his services on any construction project. Jonathon's expertise and knowledge allowed the project team to dodge many hurdles that would have tripped up less experienced professionals.

    Daniel Nielson, Director, D Nielson and Associates

  • I was extremely lucky to meet Jonathan during our DBA at MGSM. What a great human being he is; extremely soft, caring and helpful. He has a wealth of knowledge brought from years of experience in construction and property development, etc. You can trust him literary for anything.

    K Keyani MGSM DBA Cohort

  • There is definitely a need for this service. I've just prepared a 'preliminary appraisal report' for a solicitor and owners who are considering litigation and that there were gaps in the evidence that would have benefited by the expert triage approach

    David Willows, Willows Engineering

Our Credentials:
Expert Triage Cred in a nutshell

  • Registered expert with Unisearch, Experts Direct, Nationwide Experts
  • In the media, see our news articles published in independent news outlets
  • Industry Recognition: Key articles recognised and industry supported
  • Research Credentials: Recognised industry level research at UNSW BE and WSU
  • Dr Drane is an Invited Guest Speaker: At national conferences Strata Community Title 2015 and Building Regulatory Reform Summit 2019
  • Ministerial Recognition: Defects research and initiative recognized by NSW Ministers
  • Social media initiative: Linked In Group called The Property Development Doctor cuts new ground
See full credentials

About

Dr Jonathan Drane is a recognized industry expert in complex property and construction matters with an emphasis on building defects and their systemic causes.

He is a registered expert witness with key expert agencies and his research, articles and initiatives have received acclaim at Ministerial, Government, Industry and Academic levels.

He has helped guide legal cases with his forensic and analytical approach to unravelling the cause of defects and draws on both research methods and extensive experience.

His key focus with Expert Triage is to ensure that the legal case and associated legal analysis chooses the right expertise needed before the actual expert is appointed.

Jonathan is also founder and director of Optimum Search City Research Centre.

    Featured Services

    Our Expert Triage Service Offering

    Try our Free 30 minute consultation

    A 30 minute initial free telephone consultation (confidential) with no obligation to proceed with our ongoing services and no undertakings or liability.

    Initial Expertise Assessment Report

    $2500 plus gst which includes a report on key case characteristics, possible causes and potential expertise needed to create a meaningful legal brief.

    Expert Witness Service: A Budget Estimate and an Economical tiered Fee Structure

    This includes an expert witness report to support your legal case. To maintain an economical approach we use a tiered fee approach as noted in the table below. We provide a budget estimate of the project which can change with discovery and scope changes.

    Fee Schedule ( $ plus gst)

    Dr Drane Fee $325 per hour
    Research Coordinator $200 per hour
    Data Collection $150 per hour
    Expenses (at cost) Travel including accommodation and food, data retrieval, international phone calls, parking, print costs and other incidental costs.

    Billing

    At the essence of the arrangement is prompt payment. After determining a fee budget we bill on a fortnightly basis based on a pre-determined schedule of payment. Some upfront payment may be required depending on the circumstances.

    If payment is not received on time we reserve the right to stop work until the matter is rectified with no legal recourse. A legal agreement is a precursor to appointment and is to be signed prior to commencement of work.

    Try our expert triage! Get a 30 minute free consultation with Dr Drane.

    Requirements: T&Cs apply. Fill in your details here, we send instructions with a scheduled time. We ask you for a testimonial after the call. See our privacy policy

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      Initial Assessment Report $2500 

      This includes a report on key case characteristics, possible causes and potential expertise needed to support a meaningful legal brief.

      Requirements: T&Cs apply. Confidentiality Assured. After the report you are asked to fill in our testimonial form on your experience with Expert Triage.

      Or simply contact us on
      Email:    experts@jondrane.net
      Mobile: Phone or text +612412996258 (text first please)

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