Fire exits are an important contingency when designing a building, even though you hope no one will ever have to use them. Contingency planning for your own professional design business works much the same way. Even though you hope you’ll never need it, it’s important to have a plan in place in case you suddenly [...]
A design project can involve a number of professionals, making it difficult to predict when and where a problem might occur. But when it does, a costly and time-consuming lawsuit is likely to follow. Professional liability insurance is available to help protect against this risk. Professional liability insurance is an important risk management tool for [...]
If you have a bad feeling about a client, it may be better to listen to your gut and pass on the job. That’s because working with problematic clients puts you at higher risk of a claim. Professional liability claims involve lawsuits that often put your business and personal assets at risk and can cause [...]
A green revolution is sweeping the country, with carbon neutrality, net-zero energy and other initiatives making their way throughout various industries, including architecture. Yet the risks of green building performance standards are numerous, posing new challenges for you and your firm. Green building performance standards are regulations that require a completed building to meet certain [...]
The risks of climate change are impacting everyone, including architects, engineers and other design professionals. However, there’s not only the risk of severe weather impacting project construction. Architects also face the risk of claims for past projects, months or years after their completion. Architects are at the forefront of providing climate change and sustainable design [...]
As your professional liability insurance policy comes up for renewal, it’s natural to wonder if you might be able to get a better deal or access better service. Perhaps you’re reading this blog, but currently have coverage through someone else. As a design professional, switching insurance is particularly daunting. Finding coverage that protects your assets [...]
With nearly every project, architects, engineers and other design professionals have to make decisions about construction observation services. Choices about whether and how often to conduct observations and how to document them can greatly impact the risk of a claim or lawsuit. To better manage the construction observation risks you face, it helps to remember [...]
The possibility of unforeseen conditions at a project site can be a major source of stress for architects, engineers and other design professionals. Unfortunately, unforeseen conditions are also a frequent source of professional liability claims. Improperly constructed and outdated structures, materials and structures damaged by weather and wildlife, and the existence of constituents of concern [...]
Every day, design professionals face the prospect of being sued for the work they do on a project. Most of the time, these claims are brought by the client or another party directly involved in the project. However, that isn't always the case. In certain circumstances, claims can also be brought against a design professional [...]
One way to mitigate the increased risk of cyber attacks is to look to low-cost and no-cost solutions that can offer an immediate risk management benefit without added expense or complexity. Lockton Affinity Architect and Engineer and CyberLock Defense have prepared this list of 12 low-cost and no-cost ways to help design professionals prevent cyber [...]