By Greg N. Ziegler, Esq. and James B. Atkins, FAIA

A liability claim made against an architect on a project typically begins with a written notice of claim and demand for payment and can escalate to a lawsuit. All claims have the potential of ending up in court if alternative dispute resolution methods are not successful. Many professional liability insurance providers offer services to assist in mitigating the claim early, and a quick, proactive claims management response can often be successful. An understanding by the architect of beneficial internal management actions to take at the infancy of the process in assisting your attorney, as well as a basic understanding of the process of giving fact testimony can be helpful in building a claims defense, maximizing success in defeating the claim, or minimizing liability exposure.