"The side with the best paper trail usually wins." This is a concept that my general contractor father tried to teach me when I was younger, and one that I've learned the hard way myself through direct experience. In my work as a forensic consultant on behalf of many different parties in all manner of … Continue reading The party with the best documentation in a construction dispute typically prevails
Although the pandemic has had the greatest impact on humanity in quite some time, in the building industry, we were already facing numerous challenges before the quarantine started. 2020 has also been a year for some rather stringent code changes in both residential and nonresidential construction, particularly in California. With new code requirements, including the … Continue reading How architects can better manage the risk associated with California’s increased code requirements
Over at the Xpera Blog, you can find the latest of my articles on the required inspections for multifamily residential balcony inspections mandated by law in California as a result of the tragic and fatal balcony collapse in Berkeley about 5 years ago. In multi-family residential buildings, Exterior Elevated Elements (EEEs), such as balcony decks, … Continue reading What You See Is What You Get, even with balconies
The last post I published here at AECforensics.com was a recap of the 2019 West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar. As I write this in the last days of June, it makes me a little sad to think about the conference we should have had this year in May, but obviously could not. For me … Continue reading Just wear your damn mask, and other risk management strategies
For 26 years, West Coast Casualty has been hosting the biggest (and best) gathering of professionals in the construction defect litigation industry. The 2019 seminar was held in May at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, and once again, my colleagues and I from Xpera Group were on hand as sponsors. As I've done many times … Continue reading Report: Natural disasters and smart home risks on the rise, insurance coverage on the decline
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