by
Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Pennsylvania
State University
Can I be sued for the work I do as a Professional Engineer? This is a question asked by many engineers since lawsuits have become part of "doing business" in the United States. It seems that when ever something fails and someone is injured or killed--a lawsuit is initiated. Sometimes the debris is still being swept-up and the lawyers are discussing settlements for their clients.
This seminar will look at the tort litigation process and how it impacts engineers and their projects. Loss of
sovereign immunity, joint and several liability, trial discovery, and negligence will be discussed. The litigation
process from complaint to the courtroom trial will be explained. Several case studies including a 27 vehicle crash
during a snow storm and an open bridge span vehicle crash will be reviewed to demonstrate how the engineer was
brought into the litigation process.