 Forensic engineering has been defined as the investigation of failures, ranging from serviceability to catastrophic, which may lead to legal activity, including both civil and criminal. It therefore includes the investigation of materials, products, structures or components that fail or do not operate or function as intended, causing personal injury, damage to property or economic loss. The consequences of failure may give rise to action under either criminal or civil law including but not limited to health and safety legislation, the laws of contract and slash or product liability and the laws of toward. The field also deals with retracing processes and procedures leading to accidents in operation of vehicles or machinery. Generally, the purpose of a forensic engineering investigation is to locate cause or causes of failure with a view to improve performance or life of a component, or to assist the court in determining the facts of an accident. It can also involve investigation of intellectual property claims, especially patents. Vital to the field of forensic engineering is the process of investigating and collecting data related to the materials, products, structures or components that failed. This involves inspections, collecting evidence, measurements, developing models, obtaining exemplar products, and performing experiments. Often testing and measurements are conducted in an independent testing laboratory or other reputable unbiased laboratory.