Engineering Professional Programs

Course Faculty: Ron Harrison and Gordon Baca

Tort liability has become a serious cost and concern for public agencies involved in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of highways, streets, and roads. This two-day course is specifically designed to help you better protect your agency from expensive and time-consuming litigation. The course instructors will identify for you critical aspects of the law and legal process which must be understood in order for you and your agency to respond effectively when confronted or threatened with legal action.

You will examine the significance of engineering standards and guidelines, as well as public agency immunity and how this relates to maintenance practices. Other topics include special trials and trial alternatives, written vs. judge-made law, design immunity, the lack-of-money argument, forms of evidence, risk management, and litigation mitigation. Lectures are complemented by case studies in which the participant identifies potential liability and develops strategies to mitigate liability.

Since many engineering practitioners and managers are often called as expert witnesses in court cases, this course will provide helpful hints and guidelines to better prepare you for this role. Several hands-on workshops will give you practical experience applying the course materials to State of Washington-specific case studies.

Course Topics

The legal process

Trials and engineering standards

Design and engineering standards and practice

Field evidence and forms of evidence

Risk management

Pointers for witnesses

Litigation mitigation

Who Should Attend

Engineering and maintenance managers, construction resident engineers, engineering and technical personnel in design, construction, traffic operations, and maintenance will directly benefit from this course. The course covers material which is relevant for those working in federal, state, local, and private agencies.

Continuing Education Units and Professional Development Hours

Course participants will earn 1.4 CEUs/14 PDHs upon successful completion of this course. The CEU is a nationally recognized measure of participation in a noncredit continuing education program that meets established criteria for increasing knowledge and competency.