ABSTRACT
One of the key principles of defect investigation is that of ‘following the trail’. This principle has
been stated in numerous legal judgements and should always be born in mind when investigating any
building defect. It is especially important when examining structural defects and involves reviewing all
of the available explicit and implicit evidence in terms of both cause and effect. A simple example is to
examine the outside face of a wall if a crack is found internally. Only when all available evidence has
been considered can a judgement be formed as to the cause of the problem and its remedy. The courts
have stated that it is essential to ‘follow the trail’ from the defect originally noted in order to draw the
correct conclusions and undertake the proper corrective action. Failure to do so might be considered
negligent, especially if one is acting in a professional capacity.
