Professional Liability Insurance Resources
AE RESOURCE WEBINAR CALENDAR
FEATURED FIRM
Our attorneys have substantial experience in handling complex cases for our clients including appellate matters. Our Professional Liability group operates with a distinct sensitivity for preserving the reputation and confidentiality of our clients as well the unique tactical and legal issues that arise in the defense of professional liability claims.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECORDED SESSION – The Do’s and Don’ts of Document Retention: More Paper or Paper-Less?
Which is better, more or less documentation in your project file after the job is complete? Despite recent advances in technology, document retention has become a difficult, expensive and complex proposition. This webinar will offer suggestions on those categories of critical project documents necessary to defend claims, and which ones are better off being discarded as a matter of course after project completion.
Participants will learn the following objectives:
- Provide a clear understanding of the need for a firm wide document retention policy;
- Provide real-world examples of the pitfalls and consequences of poor document retention, and how to avoid them;
- Outline practical solutions to common issues faced when developing a document retention policy;
- Help design professionals minimize exposure.
Webinar White Paper – The Dos and Don’ts of Document Retention – More Paper or Paper-Less?
RISK MANAGEMENT EVENTS
Save the Date – April First Friday:
Material Transparency: A Sustainable Plan of Action
Event Info
Friday, April 7, 2017
Noon – 1:15 pm
One Embarcadero Center, 26th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Lunch will be provided and served at 11:45 a.m. so the presentation can start precisely at Noon. Please RSVP to Cari DuBois-Wright at cdw@severson.com
Wednesday, April 12 at 1 p.m. Managing the Risk of Condos and Other Residential Projects Moderator: Joseph H. Jones, Jr., Esq., AIA, Director of Risk Management, Travelers Speakers: Christine E. Drage, Esq. of Weil & Drage Holly J. Newman, Esq. of DeWitt Residential projects, especially condominiums, can present unique risk for design firms. What are the potential risk, how can firms identify and manage those risk using claim studies and appropriate contracts among other tools, are important factors for a successful project and minimizing the chances for a professional liability claims. REGISTER NOW |
The Standard of Care – Circumventing the Unachievable Responsibility
Article written by Hall & Company Broker, Ashley Hurd
Clients and their attorneys are at times baffled about the standard of care appropriate to the services provided by architectural and engineering firms. From a legal standpoint, the law acknowledges that professional services are centered on rational conclusions and that there is never one appropriate procedure or plan of action. A client may well want a detailed explanation of services and the capability to measure performance based on precise benchmarks. However, such accuracy is not feasible due to the specialized characteristics of each individual project. The function of a standard of care is to offer an objective measurement of the design professional’s services.
Supporting our A/E Community Beyond Insurance Brokerage
In pursuit of our goal to become a valued partner to our clients we have set out to make ourselves of real service the A/E community. View our list of educational and professional association sponsorship opportunities |
Alert: California Court of Appeal Holds Economic Loss Rule Bars Indemnity and Contribution Claims Against Professional Engineering Firm provided by Severson & WersonThe California Court of Appeal just handed down an important decision for the design and construction industry:State Ready Mix, Inc. v. Moffatt & Nichol (http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B253421.PDF).The Court ruled that concrete supplier State Ready Mix, Inc. (State) was unable to pursue any claim for equitable indemnity or contribution against the civil engineer, Moffatt & Nichol (Moffatt). State was sued by the general contractor, which had retained it to supply the concrete for a new travel lift pier at the Channel Islands Harbor, when a portion of the pier had to be demolished and rebuilt after it was discovered that the concrete supplied by State and used to construct the pier was defective. READ MORE |
FEATURED ARTICLES
Article: Understanding the Reservation of Rights Letter – Hall & Company You receive your mail and discover a letter from your professional liability insurance company. As you are about to file away the letter, you notice that the insurance company is advising you that there are allegations regarding a recently submitted claim that may potentially cause coverage problems. Your immediate concern is does this means you have no coverage for the claim. Download Article
Article: Is your Insurance Agent Your Trusted Advisor? This article describes the characteristics of the type of relationship that we strive to achieve, and the process that we use for each clients’ annual renewal. This process leaves clients knowing they are well-represented in their insurance purchase. Download Article
eBook: “A Guide to Managing Engineering and Architectural Design Services Contracts – What Every Project Manager Needs to Know” by John Lowe, Lowe Consulting, LLC – Download Article The book is a resource to design professionals as they manage their professional services contracts. Its more than fifty topics address the process from being selected, through the design process, and to preparation of record documents after construction. The book also contains twelve sample documents intended to improve effectiveness and efficiency during the design and construction process.
Article: Liability for ‘Delegated Design’ – Understanding and Avoiding Risks to Design Professionals – by William Thomas and Anthony Hafner, Pitzer Snodgrass, PC. Today’s construction projects are more complicated than in any other time in our history. While construction means and methods may have become more efficient, aided by technology and innovation, those same drivers have made building components and products more complex. Any project, from a new home to high rise office building, involves highly specialized components and systems which all require an incredible amount of technical knowledge and coordination. In this article Bill Thomas and Anthony Hafner provide extensive definitions, explanations of implications from standard industry form documents, analysis of the caselaw on this subject and more. Download Article