What is marine investigator?

A marine investigator is a professional who investigates marine accidents and incidents such as collisions, groundings, fires, sinking and environmental accidents such as oil spills. These professionals may be employed by government agencies, insurance companies, law firms, and shipping companies.

Marine investigators use a wide range of techniques and tools to investigate maritime accidents, such as interviewing witnesses and survivors, analyzing data from onboard equipment and navigation systems, reviewing ship logs, and examining wreckage and damage to the vessel.

The main objective of marine investigators is to determine the cause of an accident and to identify any contributing factors. They must also determine whether any applicable laws, regulations, or industry standards were violated, and whether there was negligence or misconduct on the part of any persons involved in the incident.

Some marine investigators specialize in specific types of maritime accidents, such as pollution incidents, while others focus on investigating accidents involving specific types of vessels such as cargo ships, fishing vessels or pleasure craft.

Ultimately, the work of a marine investigator is crucial in ensuring that the cause of an accident is properly determined, and that steps can be taken to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.