Florida contractors can wind up embroiled in all sorts of lawsuits that can be deleterious to their companies and their reputation in the industry. Ideally, you want to proactively protect yourself from these vulnerabilities, but some may be inevitable.
Here’s what you should know about limiting your liability to litigation and how to protect yourself when you’re being sued.
Avoid design deficiencies
Engineers Daily reports that roughly 38 percent of construction disputes arise from plans that were either initially poorly designed, left incomplete or built inaccurately. They can arise between general contractors (GC) and their subs or between the property owners and the GC.
Sometimes, a new build will get fast-tracked. But the rush job leads to corners being cut and poor end results. Cost overruns can blow a project budget and lead to litigation when contractors fail to complete risk analyses.
Time delays can ruin projects. Weather in South Florida is a major culprit here, especially during the hurricane-prone summer season. It’s important for contractors to factor in downtime due to weather delays.
A lack of staffing can create havoc on a project. Contractors walk a fine line between keeping labor costs down and paying workers enough to keep them motivated to remain on the job to its completion. A misstep here can be disastrous.
If you find yourself on a project with a lot of red flags, you may face a legal dispute before you can put it to bed. Consulting with your South Florida construction law attorney before the matter escalates can be a cheaper option than waiting until you get served with a lawsuit.
