SafeGuard Litigation Experience

SafeGuard

Litigation experience

Over a period in excess of forty five years and over 1000 cases, SafeGuard have been retained in cases of arson, murder, burglary, theft, investigation of unsatisfactory security measures, disputed patents, guarding disputes, goods and cash in transit, product suitability or failure, personal injury, traumatic stress, CPR and criminal cases with values from a few hundred to several millions.

Whether you require pre-case advice, an independent expert or a Single Joint Expert the team at SafeGuard are ready to respond to your needs in both CPR and criminal cases.

Key SafeGuard Litigation Cases include:

Loss from alarmed premises/unsatisfactory systems/guarding services
These cases form the bulk of our work. Each case is different and therefore requires careful assessment and application to determine the exact circumstances, the establishment and identification of security measures and procedures and any extraneous actions which will influence the outcome.

Murder
A case of a guard who was stabbed to death whilst providing court guarding services. This case involved interviewing staff, establishing competency, Health and Safety issues, training, support and other factors designed to establish circumstances surrounding the death. A further case was proven to be accidental death due to non compliance to regulations and lack of training and supervision.

Burglary
Cases of this kind are fairly common and we have undertaken many over the years. One case involved what was then a unique method for removing goods from a large country house. The security measures proved inadequate for the level of risk but the method of removal was unlikely to have been foreseen at the time the system was installed. The outcome was therefore on balance a mixture of unsuitability of security measures and unforeseen circumstances due to the nature of the offence.

Another case relied on inadequate security arrangements and measures aided by collusion.

Loss from High Street Bank Safe Deposit Vaults in London, the actual loss in monetary terms was unknown but was in excess of £100M plus. Many parties were involved with the action and vicarious liability was proven.

Unsatisfactory Product
Purchase of surveillance product for use in the Middle East which proved unfit for the purpose and for use in the specific environment.

Patents
Case of alleged breach of patent. A point by point analysis of patent content, design features and usage parameters was undertaken with the result that the case settled out of Court.

Fire/Arson
A number of cases involving suspected arson have arisen over recent years, with insurers facing a claim in one case for over £4.0M. Our examination of the security measures, procedures and circumstances surrounding the fire, in conjunction with fire experts, determined the facts of fire setting and causation. We were previously instructed as the expert witness for the Weston-Super- Mare Pier fire, in their £32m successful case against a UK alarm company.

Criminal
These cases normally centre round an individual accused of theft or burglary and our expertise is needed to establish what might or might not have occurred during the offence. We have  acted for either the Prosecution or the Defence.

Personal Injury and Traumatic Stress
Cases of this type have increased over the last few years, reflecting increased crime activity in this arena. We have produced reports for those representing Claimants and Defendants involved with betting shops, pubs, building societies and banks, as well as cash collection and guarding services.

CCTV
Cases invariably involve the unsatisfactory or inadequate installation of CCTV resulting in losses. All cases undertaken to date have settled out of Court following receipt of the reports.

Biometric Access Control
A recent case regarding the suitability of fingerprint scanning for a children’s nursery.

Locks
Cases include explaining the mechanism of locks and keys resulting in damage or losses using one of the foremost lock manufacturers in the country.

Restraint Techniques
Cases investigated include the use of inappropriate restraint techniques resulting in injury or death. We have acted for both members of the public or employees including door supervisors, NHS staff and prison staff.

Our Clients

Whether you require pre-case advice, an independent expert or a Single Joint Expert the team at SafeGuard are ready to respond to your needs in both civil and criminal cases.

Graeme Dow
Jon Laws
Andrew Taylor
Sally Cadec
Jim O'Dwyer

Meet the SafeGuard

Team of Experts

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Or call us on 0845 894 3105 or 01258 458 261 for an initial free discussion.