Negligence & Liability for Engineers - Online
Co-facilitated by an engineer and a lawyer, this online course focuses on an engineers’ potential liabilities, and how they can best manage these in an ever-increasing litigious world. The course will consider the legal framework within which engineers are required to operate, and at a practical and technical level what they need to do to manage their risk both financially and reputationally.
Description
As New Zealand experiences another building boom and clients place greater pressure and expectations on engineers, it is critical that engineers manage their financial and reputational risks.
The topics covered include:
- The legal frameworks within which a Court will determine if an engineer:
- is in breach of contract.
- has been negligent.
- is in breach of a statutory obligation such as the Fair Trading Act 1986.
- When engineers are found personally liable for their actions or a failure to act.
- Why engineers make the mistakes that they do and how to avoid them.
- How to make sure the impact of a mistake is reduced.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:
- Recognise how the law approaches questions of an engineer’s liability.
- Relate how some practices you encounter in the workplace could expose one to claims and of the consequences that flow from this.
- Identify some steps one can take to ensure that one does not face those claims and if they do how to manage them.
- Distinguish what your insurance policy may and may not cover and identify what questions to ask your broker.
Target Audience
Engineers of all disciplines and at all levels will benefit from the course.
- Engineers in the initial stages of their careers will learn about risk management early on and understand how to manage those situations where both they and their employers are more at risk.
- More experienced engineers and those in a managerial role and / or practice owners will learn about the risks to their businesses as well as themselves personally.
Engineers approaching retirement will learn about the risk peculiar to them and how to best protect themselves.
Course Format
This is a practical and highly interactive course that is responsive to the participants’ needs and the issues that impact on them on a day to day basis.
Presenter Information
Stuart Meakins has over 25 years’ experience of working in the construction industry in both the UK and NZ and has a master’s degree from the Auckland University Law School. Earlier roles in the UK included asset advisor to the Crown Estate and research manager for the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) before moving into construction contract management. Stuart has been a client-side project and contracts manager for the past 15 years and has managed a wide range of NEC, ICE and NZS 3910 contracts and has “real life” experience of the challenges of working in this environment.
Susan Thodey is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand and also as a solicitor in England & Wales. Susan has over 30 years’ experience in the resolution of professional liability disputes. She has a range of clients including insurance companies, professionals and local and regional government. Susan also has a general litigation practice.