What Is a Hammer Clause in Professional Liability Insurance?
When your insurer wants to settle but you don’t, a hammer clause decides who pays the added cost. Here’s what “no hammer,” “50/50,” and “80/20” wording actually means.
First-Dollar Defense vs. Deductible Including Defense Costs: What Engineers Need to Know
A professional liability deductible doesn’t always apply only to damages. On some A&E policies, it applies to defense costs too, so a dismissed claim can still be expensive.
Adding Inspection Services to Your A&E Firm? Check Your Insurance First
Adding inspection services can create professional exposures that differ from a firm’s traditional design or consulting work. Review your insurance before expanding the firm’s scope.
Can Geotechnical Mistakes Turn Into Professional Liability Claims?
Geotechnical mistakes can create major construction losses, but the engineer is not always responsible. Learn how professional liability may apply.
Who Is Responsible When a Senior Engineer Fails to Review a Junior Engineer’s Design?
When a senior engineer fails to review a junior engineer’s design and problems surface during construction, the fallout raises hard questions about who is responsible. This page looks at how that responsibility is typically viewed, and how professional liability insurance responds once a redesign or a claim follows.
You Don’t Have to Design the Building to Get Named in the Lawsuit: E&O for 3D Scanning Companies
A 3D scanning company doesn’t design or build anything, but it supplies the information other people build from. When that information turns out to be wrong, incomplete, or misread, the scanning company can end up defending itself in a dispute it didn’t cause. This page explains how that exposure works and where professional liability insurance fits.
Should an Engineering Firm Document Lessons Learned From Its Mistakes?
Some firms avoid documenting lessons learned out of fear it could be used against them later. This page looks at that concern against how professional liability claims and underwriting actually work, and what a lessons-learned process can look like without creating unnecessary risk.
Can a Geotechnical Engineer Be Liable for a Site Inspection Mistake?
A site inspection mistake does not automatically make a geotechnical engineer liable, but it can lead to a claim against the firm. This page explains how responsibility is shared with the contractor, what the contract and standard of care add to the picture, and how professional liability insurance may respond.
What Happens After Stamping Someone Else’s Design and an Error Gets Through?
When a designer’s error gets past the engineer who stamped the drawings, responsibility rarely stays with one person. This page covers what the stamping engineer actually reviewed, how fault may be divided, and how a professional liability claim can involve the firm and the stamper.
What Does Professional Liability Insurance Cover When a Plan Error Becomes a Claim?
Catching a mistake before anything is built gives an engineer the most options. This page covers how to correct and document a plan error, who needs to hear about it, and where insurance fits in.