Our firm decided over 25 years ago to conduct accident investigations in-house. We then started to employ qualified investigators and we now have 7 full time investigators with the firm. A properly conducted accident investigation provides important, detailed information about the scene and other important aspects relating to the accident. This investigation allows our lawyers to form their own views of what might have caused the accident or come up with another explanation of how the accident happened.
The investigators, on the majority of the cases, go into action at the onset to gather information about what happened by obtaining copies of accident reports, incident offense reports, driver and criminal history reports and other reports as they relate to the particular case. Usually, the investigator will meet with the lawyer at this point as well, to discuss areas of concern and where investigative efforts need to be focused. The investigators usually communicate with the lawyer’s legal or assistant secretary to obtain Letters of Preservation to be sent to insurance companies, potential defendants, and other parties associated with the storage of evidence.
The investigators visit the accident or incident location to photograph the scene and surroundings to gather information for the attorney who is assigned the case. The investigator will then travel to other areas to gather information. This may include insurance storage lots and wrecker lots to photograph and inspect all vehicles involved; or travel to a business to inspect the scene/equipment where the accident occurred. In addition, interviews are conducted on all parties involved and any witnesses to the accident/incident to gather as much information as possible to assist the attorneys in the decision to move forward or close a case.
Oftentimes, the utilization of equipment to download information from vehicles provides valuable information to the lawyer assigned to the case – things like vehicle speed, seatbelt usage, braking, etc. The investigators provide inspection reports and memorandums to the attorneys describing the inspections and any findings of significance. An investigator may also have to video the scene or a specific piece of equipment for informational purposes for the attorney or for use in trial. During the inspection process, photographs are made and uploaded into our database to be used by the attorney assigned to the case.
The lawyers use all this information to decide whether or not there is a case, and they usually call for an expert/engineer in the specific field of interest based on the case. Evidence is usually collected, documented and stored until it can be inspected by an expert in the particular field. The evidence is then transported to the expert utilizing a chain-of-custody form, and photographs are normally taken to document the chain of custody.
In addition to the above, investigators assist other employees documenting evidence utilizing video and photographs, which may be used in case preparation and to document chain of custody. We learned very early in our firm’s existence that having in-house investigators is a definite advantage for the firm and the clients we represent. This section of the firm employs six full-time investigators. Each of our investigators was professionally trained as a law enforcement officer before coming with the firm. I will give a brief look at the investigators.
- Bruce Huggins heads up our firm’s Investigative Section. He has been with the firm for 25 years. Only Greg Allen, Mike Crow and this writer have been with the firm for a longer time. Bruce came on board in April of 1988 from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. During his tenure with the Sheriff’s office, Bruce won numerous awards, including Officer of the Year. He was the first person from the Sheriff’s Office to attend and graduate from the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
- Bobby Mozingo has been employed with the firm for 20 years. Before coming with us, Bobby was employed by the Montgomery Police Department for 10 years, including five years in the Detective Division. Most of Bobby’s work is in our firm’s Personal Injury/Products Liability Section.
- Ricky Moore has been an investigator with our firm since 1995. He currently works in the Personal Injury/Products Liability Section and stays very busy. Before coming to work with us, Ricky was with the Montgomery Police Department from 1978 until he retired after 20 years of service. During his time with the MPD, Ricky worked for 19 years in the Detective Division. Ricky comes from a family with a strong background in law enforcement. After retiring from the MPD, Ricky’s father became the Chief of Police in Roanoke, Ala. He later served as Sheriff of Randolph County.
- Charles Duffee has been with the firm as an investigator for 12 years. Charles retired as a Major from the Montgomery Police Department after 20 years of service. He worked most of those years in either patrol or training division. Patrol were first responders to the majority of calls for service, while Training trained and certified all new recruits for Montgomery, as well as conducting a separate training academy for smaller Alabama agencies. He was division commander of the Training division when he retired. Charles has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Auburn University in Montgomery.
- Keith Scott has been an investigator with the firm for 11 years. He does accident investigation follow-up, which includes officer and witness interviews, vehicle and scene inspections and any other specific request in a case by Personal Injury-Product Liability lawyers or Legal Assistants. Keith is retired from the Montgomery Police Department, where he worked in the Detective Division. He graduated from Autauga County High School in1976 and from Troy State University in 1980.
- Marc McHenry came to work at the firm in March 2013 as an investigator. Marc retired from the Alabama Department of Public Safety after 26 years of service. His last position with DPS was Chief of the Administrative Division, holding the rank of Major. In that capacity, Marc was responsible for the oversight and management of the Homeland Security Liaison, the Financial Services, and Human Resources among other areas within the Department. Marc is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. One of his areas of work at DPS was in connection with the Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center where Marc provided direction and oversight for training of State Troopers and other law enforcement officers. Previously, Marc had served as Assistant Chief of the Highway Patrol Division.
- Mike Bush joined Beasley Allen’s team of investigators in 1999, after retiring from the Montgomery Police Department. He spent 18 of his 20 years in the Traffic Division. Mike was assigned to the Accident Investigation and Reconstruction Bureau for 16 years until his retirement. Mike took over firm security in addition to his investigative duties. His new title is Chief of Security at Beasley Allen. He is doing a very good job in his new and most important role.
