Here’s what to know before the vehicle arrives, from how joint inspections work to the records worth gathering now.
A joint party inspection is when everyone involved in a lawsuit or claim inspects the same vehicle together, at the same location and under the same procedures. Attendees often include:
– Plaintiff and defense attorneys
– Insurance representatives
– Manufacturer representatives
– Expert witnesses and mechanical engineers
– Accident reconstructionists
– Appraisers
– Vehicle owners
Joint inspections let every party see the vehicle in the same condition at the same time, which avoids disputes over what was found or changed between separate inspections. Finding a suitable place to hold one is often difficult, because many dealerships and repair shops won’t host inspections tied to litigation. Midwest VITAL provides a neutral, professional facility built for this purpose, with indoor inspection space, vehicle lifts, lighting, electrical power, compressed air, diagnostic equipment, work tables, photography areas and Wi-Fi.
Before the inspection: The scope is agreed on in advance, often through a written inspection plan or protocol. An inspection may be:
– Visual only
– Non-destructive
– Diagnostic
– Mechanical
– Measurement-based
– Partially disassembled
– More advanced testing, if authorized
On inspection day: Participants sign in, and the inspection follows the agreed procedures. Parties document the vehicle using the methods their assignment calls for: photographs, video, measurements, diagnostic data, component identification, and notes on fluid, physical and repair condition. Parties can do their own hands-on work, or Midwest VITAL staff and tools are available to remove components at an additional cost.
Scheduling: The facility takes one case per day, so it’s reserved for your inspection. Multiple vehicles from the same case can be inspected together.
After the inspection: Vehicles can arrive the evening before and must be picked up within 24 hours of the inspection. Midwest VITAL is not a storage facility.
Gather the vehicle’s records before the inspection so everyone’s findings can be compared against the vehicle’s history. Key records include:
– Repair orders
– Maintenance records
– Diagnostic records
Records also help the parties decide the scope of the inspection and whether further testing or disassembly is needed.
To schedule and plan the inspection, we’ll need:
– The type of vehicle
– The nature of the dispute and the system or component involved
What the inspection needs to accomplish
Where the vehicle is now, and whether it needs to be transported
Whether litigation is pending
Whether multiple parties will attend
What records are available
Mechanical failure inspections can involve engines, transmissions, brakes, steering, suspension, tires, wheels, wheel bearings, cooling, electrical systems, vehicle electronics, fuel systems, hydraulic systems, RV systems and commercial vehicle systems.
The facility handles far more than passenger cars:
– Passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs
– Luxury, exotic, classic and collector vehicles
– Commercial trucks, tractor-trailers and buses
– Motorhomes (Class A, B and C)
– Travel trailers, fifth wheels and toy haulers
– Utility trailers
– Specialty, modified and fleet vehicles
– Certain types of heavy equipment
Space allows three passenger vehicles, a car and a tractor-trailer together, or one RV at a time.