Three months after completion of a small 20 unit apartment building, multiple residents report insufficient heating regardless of thermostat setting. Building owner pays to have HVAC system checked and determines there is a design flaw in the air circulation system. Building owner sues HVAC engineer for $200K to have error corrected.

Structural designs as well as construction defects on an office building. Structural engineer puts blame on the construction company and the construction company blames the engineer. Plaintiff seeks $700K in damages but is settled out of court for $500K split between both the construction company and the engineer.

Civil Engineer is hired to design a major highway bridge over a river. Flood parameters were incorrectly interpreted. Project needed to be redesigned during construction producing additional costs. Plaintiff claimed $500K in damages.

Land Surveyor is hired to do a site layout for a new shopping center. The location of the piles was incorrect resulting in a significant project delay. Work previously completed needed to be redone due to error. Plaintiff sought damages upwards of $450K.

Recently a landscaper was involved with a project where large trees were planted near a glass building to provide some shade. As time went on the trees grew, and so did their roots… so much in fact, that they cracked the foundation of the building causing structural damage, and a lawsuit. The damages sought exceeded the policy limits. Our insured thought of themselves as having ‘no exposure’ and carried a minimal policy just for the sake of adding validity to their company. Also, this particular project was done over 6 years ago, and the client was long out of their minds. And in the blink of an eye, they get tagged with a massive lawsuit that was about triple the policy limits they carried (not counting the defense costs).

In California, construction on the foundation and lower floors of a mid-rise building had begun. The project was halted entirely when it was realized that the thickness of the floors and walls needed to be revised because they were insufficient for earthquake loading. Contractor, engineers, and various other construction personnel were targeted in the lawsuit. The situation was eventually settled - after more than 4 years!.