DLB brings Helix forensic vehicle insights to market to reveal critical event data

DLB Investigations has launched a new service that gets to the heart of vehicle DNA.

Called Helix, the forensic level of investigation is a revealing new way to secure key data from modern vehicles to help quickly validate motor insurance claims and provide detailed support for claim enquiries.

Helix from DLB gains access to the many control units that constitute the DNA of a modern vehicle and extracts revealing data. This innovative new forensic investigation service is expressly designed to aid insurance claims by getting to the core of that DNA.

Detailed analysis of vehicle control data at the time of an alleged event makes it possible to identify fraudulent claims and avoid potentially costly settlement decisions. Where irrefutable evidence is sought, Helix delivers.

“Modern vehicles are a mobile network of sophisticated control modules and sensors, much of which goes unnoticed by motorists,” explains David Booker, managing director of DLB. “But these units are an absolutely essential part of a vehicle’s ability to operate and they store important data on all sorts of vehicle functions.”

“With our Helix toolkit, we access and analyse that data to provide a revealing insight into a vehicle’s operating history. That’s how Helix delivers powerful evidence to help determine that a claim is genuine. Or not quite as presented.”

The transparent three-stage Helix service is simple, efficient and cost-effective. It creates a clear forensic pathway to enable targeted investigations, starting with a rapid-response Triage process to determine the likely data stored. DLB typically reports within four hours solely from the vehicle’s registration number. It allows clients to determine how extracted Helix data will assist their enquiry.

Stage two is the vehicle data digital interrogation process to extract data from onboard control systems, carried out with the policyholder’s permission. DLB analyses the data to highlight inconsistencies and provide informed expert assessments and interpretations.

Stage three is the Helix reporting that’s underpinned by signed statements and a fully audited evidential trail, permitting seamless disclosure.

Onboard systems data can reveal information including:

• Keyless entries data
• Journey history
• Parking events
• Satnav location(s) keyed into the system
• GPS event data
• Door openings and closings
• Hard acceleration events
• Hard braking events
• Seatbelt plug-ins at the time of an event
• Time and date of airbag deployments
• Time and date of airbag non-deployment alerts
• USB and Bluetooth device connections made
• Phone calls and SMS made and received
• Vehicle fault history

Booker says: “Our continuing eagerness to investigate a different way encourages us to constantly question the norms and that’s why we look to develop new and innovative methods to provide answers to seemingly unanswerable questions.”

“Helix is one of a number of new DLB services we will launch over the next few months. It is already inspiring our clients in the insurance and legal sectors as it’s helping them uncover the real facts of an event behind a motor claim. All we need is the vehicle’s registration number. It really is that simple to potentially change the course of an entire claims investigation.”

Further information on Helix is available on the DLB Investigations website

Claims Media