For years, Florida has been one of only 10 states that follow the “Frye” standard relating to the admission of expert testimony at trial. This may be changing, as a Florida Senate Panel recently advanced Senate Bill 1412 that would change the standards by which Florida judges admit expert testimony. The proposed bill, which is… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Engineers
Subscribe to Engineers RSS FeedCSK’s Capitol Report – Update on the Design Professional Limitation of Liability Bills
Posted in Architects, Construction, Construction Contracts, Design Professionals, Engineers, Florida Legislation, Professional LiabilityAs we have previously posted, we have been closely monitoring Senate Bill (“SB”) 286 and House Bill (“HB”) 575, which have moved quickly through their respective committees and chambers with little opposition. On March 27, 2013, the Senate passed SB 286 by a 37 to 1 vote. SB 286 was then substituted in place of HB… Continue Reading
CSK’s Capitol Report – Senate Bill 286; House Bill – 575
Posted in Architects, Construction, Construction Contracts, Design Professionals, Engineers, Florida Legislation, Professional LiabilityFlorida’s 2013 Legislative session kicks off tomorrow, Tuesday March 5, 2013. This legislative session, CSK’s Construction Law Division is closely following Senate Bill (“SB”) 286 titled Design Professionals and its identical companion bill in the House, House Bill (“HB”) 575. Both bills were introduced and filed in January of 2013. The bills intend to alter the… Continue Reading
Liability Releases with Warranty Repairs – A Proactive Defense
Posted in Construction, Contractors, Design Professionals, Developers, Engineers, Insurance, SubrogationFlorida’s First District Court of Appeal recently issued an important opinion regarding a Developer’s and Contractor’s liability for claims by an Condominium Association’s property insurance carrier for a subrogation claim after the Developer and Contractor entered into a release with the Association pursuant to certain warranty repairs. The appellate court affirmed the decision of the… Continue Reading
The “Fiscal Cliff” and the Construction Industry
Posted in Architects, Construction, Contractors, Design Professionals, Engineers, Florida LegislationAfter a spirited election season and as we wind down toward the end of the year, the elected officials in Washington D.C. are in the midst of a strong debate regarding the tax increases and budget cuts that will begin in 2013. Although the impact is largely debatable, discussions about the “fiscal cliff” are rampant… Continue Reading
CSK Trial Win
Posted in Architects, Construction, Construction Contracts, Contractors, Design Professionals, Engineers, Insurance, UncategorizedGeorge Truitt and Daniel Levin recently defended an architect and his firm against a claim by a homeowner relating to the design of the HVAC system in an 8,000 square foot, custom home on the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami, Florida. The owner claimed that the system was deficiently designed so that it was not able… Continue Reading
The Slavin Doctrine is Alive and Well – Ask CSK’s Clients!
Posted in Architects, Construction, Contractors, Design Professionals, Engineers, Professional Liability, SubcontractorsCole, Scott and Kissane (“CSK”) recently won two very significant personal injury cases arising from construction projects on behalf of design professionals based on the Slavin Doctrine. The Slavin doctrine prevents an injured Plaintiff from holding a contractor liable for injuries caused by a patent, or obvious, defect in construction after control of the property… Continue Reading
Appellate Rights for Arbitration Litigants
Posted in Architects, Construction, Construction Contracts, Contractors, Design Professionals, Developers, Engineers, SubcontractorsAs those in the industry are aware, the standard AIA documents – as well many of the other form contracts in construction – include arbitration provisions, the result of which is that many construction matters are litigated in arbitration fora. While arbitration is theoretically not as expensive a means of dispute resolution as the… Continue Reading
Time’s up!: Florida Supreme Court may Consider Statute of Limitations Dispute in Multi-Party Construction Defect Claim
Posted in Construction, Engineers, Statutes of Limitations, SubcontractorsTime’s up! That’s never a phrase we want to hear. It evinces memories of school tests and entrance exams. Well, in the legal arena, deadlines are all the more critical. Litigants often fight over filing deadlines for cases, or statutes of limitation, in the prosecution and defense of claims. Most recently, the First District Court… Continue Reading
A Florida Federal Trial Court Suggests That Contribution Between Comparatively At-Fault Parties Is Obsolete
Posted in Architects, Construction, Contractors, Design Professionals, Developers, Engineers, Indemnification, Professional Liability, Subcontractors, SubrogationIs the cause of action for Contribution still a viable claim? A recent federal court suggested that Contribution between comparatively at-fault parties is no longer a viable claim in light of the availability of comparative fault defenses to liability. In Mendez-Garcia v. Galaxie Corp., 8:10-CV-788-T-24 EAJ, 2011 WL 5358658 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 3, 2011), the… Continue Reading
Independent Engineering Firms Hired To Evaluate A Design-Build Contractor’s Work Had No Special Duty Toward That Design-Build Contractor
Posted in Construction, Design Professionals, Design-Build, Engineers, Professional LiabilityA Florida federal court recently issued a favorable decision for design professionals holding that design professionals do not automatically owe a duty or obligation towards design build contractors. In Recreational Design & Const. Inc. v. Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., 10-CV-21549, 2011 WL 5117163 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 20, 2011), a design-build contractor sued independent engineering firms… Continue Reading