INCREASED LIABILITY FRO CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

摘要

Construction and design professionals should make sure they are insured against claims for pure economic loss, warns specialist construction lawyer Stephen Homer from leading UK law firm Ashfords. This follows a recent court decision that suggests professionals such as engineers, architects or quantity surveyors should be liable in damages for economic loss resulting from negligence. Mr Homer said the case opens the floodgates for a much broader range of claims against construction professionals than has hitherto been the case. They are now liable to third parties for financial losses suffered by them as a result of their negligence. Previously the courts have restricted liability for negligence by a construction professional to liability for physical damage to people or property.