Newsletters
As a risk management resource for AIA Members, the AIA Trust develops risk reports on topics of critical and evolving risks for architects. If you don’t have time to read the risk reports, new synopses give you the important facts. Check them out now—so you stay out in front of critical risks. Some of these…
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For most architects, the idea that one could become disabled due to an illness or injury seems pretty remote. No matter how many times one may say, “It will never happen to me,” there’s no getting around the fact that it does happen—everyday—to people just like you. So what should you know about disability insurance?…
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Published by AIA’s Risk Management Committee (RMC), below are two articles to explain how the standard of care applies to your practice. Often the actions of the architect are measured against the applicable “standard of care.” Perfection is not the standard of care for the practice of architecture and while the common law standard of…
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The typical complaint against an architect starts with the plaintiff laying out his story of what happened, and then listing the laws that the conduct allegedly violated. Architects are familiar with many of them–malpractice, negligence, breach of contract, and the like. But sometimes the complaint alleges that the architect is a “fiduciary” and has breached…
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The practice of architecture can be extremely rewarding. But like any profession, the practice of architecture must include attention to a host of various business and legal issues. For many architects, dealing with the myriad of requirements and the complexities they impose can be challenging, and there is a related subject that is often overlooked–ethics.…
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The compelling risk report, Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Claims Defense Documentation, addresses documentation by the architect, centering on the presumption, “If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.” The paper is a guideline for managing your documentation with helpful suggestions for beneficial recordkeeping and documents retention and retrieval for an effective claims response in the…
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The risk report, Bulletproof Contract Administration: Managing Risk during Construction, addresses documentation procedures that can be advantageous in managing risk during the construction phase. Although considered cumbersome in this often complex phase of services, the suggestions put forth can serve as valuable defense documentation in the event a claims bullet is fired. Beginning with the…
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When the terminator shows up, you must be ready. Termination of the contractor on a project almost always guarantees a lawsuit, and the architect is often among the casualties. The risk report, Contractor Termination Lawsuits: The Architect’s Risks and How to Manage Them, addresses why the architect is often sued when a project goes wrong,…
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The risk report, BIM Me Up, Scotty: Navigating Risk in Digital Practice, is your chance to get the inside on preemptive risk management for your digital travels. It is an opportunity to gain insight for managing your practice so that you can put up your deflector shields to guard against incursions from the litigious Borgs…
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One of the most important defenses in any professional liability lawsuit is that an architect is not responsible for losses of a person who has no contract with the architect such as a general contractor or sub-contractor on a project. The legal term is that the architect and the third party do not share “privity…
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We live in an age of ever-accelerating change and “advancement”. On the one hand, technological advancement provides the lure and expectation of increased opportunities and efficiencies. However, those new technologies, products, and approaches present an increased potential for failure and disappointment. Design professionals are constantly expected to find new ways of building projects better, faster,…
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What should you do when your client wants you to assume a duty to defend the client in any claim brought against him or her relating to your professional services? And how do you avoid this unduly burdensome risk? Agreeing to defend another party, generally, an owner or developer against a covered third-party claim, means…
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Risk management education is key to managing a successful firm—and utilizing risk management webinars on critical topics is an indispensable approach. The longevity of an organization doesn’t happen by chance. It is the result of careful planning that includes proactive risk management. Client loss prevention and risk management services are an integral part of the…
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Are you clear on the federal pay rules for compensating overtime correctly so your firm isn’t confronted with audits, back pay, and fines? Paying employees overtime pay can be an expensive proposition. Under the Department of Labor (DOL) rules, businesses are not required to pay an employee overtime if the employee is considered “exempt” from…
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Emerging professionals work hard—you apply yourself to everything you do. You thrive by embracing the changes you know life brings. Yet starting your career is only the first step toward achieving financial stability—since all of life’s events cannot be predicted. As you start your future, how do you protect your income? Accidents and illness happen…
Read MoreDrones and cyber liability are all over the news these days. And they have big implications for architectural practice. The AIA Trust has just published guides on each of these topics to help architects navigate new regulations and risks. An Architect’s Guide to Using Drones Drones—also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aerial…
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Most people will agree that quality medical insurance is an important part of an individual’s overall health and wellness. However, there is a great deal of variance in the level of coverage offered. In addition, the level of emergency coverage and the type of emergency services included in a medical policy are significant because emergency…
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What comes to mind when you think of the AIA Trust? While many of you may view it as simply a source of insurance and retirement member benefit programs, this only represents a portion of what the AIA Trust actually offers AIA members to help them practice strategically. In fact, the AIA Trust has developed…
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The AIA Trust new risk report, “BIM Me Up, Scotty: Navigating Risk in Digital Practice” focuses on how to successfully manage your digital practice risks. While there has not yet been a proliferation of claims, risk management can be preemptive. This report looks at risk assessment and the risk-sensitive areas of the BIM process. A…
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Cyber liability insurance is a valuable risk management solution that addresses the emerging coverage gaps found in traditional professional liability policies. This is mainly due to the increasing reliance on technology and the use of data in design firms. From criminals tricking you into paying false invoices, to liability arising from lost data, to income…
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