Professional Liability of the Architect and Engineer

Abstract

One of the most disturbing issues of the medical profession has begun to disturb those in the engineering community—malpractice. Although professional engineering liability made its debut in the 1950's, it has become an item of concern for every engineer. The threat of liability frequently has replaced the idea of creativity with ideas of conservation. There are several actions an engineer can take to reduce or eliminate, or both, the potential for a liability lawsuit: (1) Use of AEPIC for structural failure data; (2) avoidance of liability‐prone projects; and (3) purchase of liability insurance. However, there is no guarantee that an engineer will not be named in a lawsuit, regardless of the precautions he or she takes.