contractor liability News

Texas Contractor Faces $257K Fine After Teenager’s Death in Trench Collapse

A Houston, Texas-area contractor is facing more than a quarter million dollars in fines after a federal investigation found the company’s willful regard for required safety procedures contributed to a teenager’s death when a a 15-foot trench wall collapsed on …

Massachusetts High Court Revives Contractor Liability Claim Over ‘Half Inch’ Defect

Whether a half-inch granite protrusion on a crosswalk under repair is sufficient to support a negligent claim is a matter for a jury to decide, not a court granting summary judgment for a contractor doing work for a municipality. Furthermore, …

3 Massachusetts Firms to Pay $325K Over Asbestos Work at State University

A Waltham-based construction contractor, Devens-based plumbing contractor, and Woburn-based demolition company will pay up to $325,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations of illegal asbestos work during a renovation project at Fitchburg State University (FSU) in the spring and summer …

Berkley Forms Excess Liability Unit for Contractors; Names Starr’s Robinson President

W.R. Berkley Corp. announced the formation of Berkley Construction Solutions to provide excess liability insurance for contractors throughout the construction industry. Andrew Robinson has been named president of the new business, effective immediately. He is based in Newton, Mass. Robinson …

Washington Company Penalized for Asbestos and Lead Safety Violations

A Bellingham, Wash.-based property management company has been cited by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries for multiple serious safety and health violations, most of which involve improper handling of asbestos and lead. As a result of the violations, …

After Solar System Fires, Walmart Sues Tesla for ‘Widespread Negligence’

Walmart Inc. on Tuesday sued Tesla Inc., accusing it of “widespread negligence” that led to repeated fires of its solar systems and asking a court to force Tesla to remove solar panels from more than 240 of its U.S. stores. …

Court: State not Liable for Contractor in Indiana Stage Collapse

A court says the state isn’t responsible for work performed by a contractor involved in the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse. The Indiana attorney general’s office said that a Marion County judge denied Mid-America Sound Corporation’s claim that the …

Deconstructing Texas Insurance Law: Ewing Confirms Court’s Shift

On Jan. 17, 2014, the Texas Supreme Court in Ewing Construction Company v. Amerisure Insurance Co. issued another surprising and controversial decision in a construction defect coverage case. For many years the Texas Supreme Courts had largely been a model …

Mississippi Firms Want City, Road Contractor Held Liable for Lost Business

Four businesses on a busy Hattiesburg Street are suing Hattiesburg city government, claiming a street improvement project has cost them customers. The project on Hardy Street began Oct. 30, 2012, according to The Hattiesburg American. The work is nearly complete …

Critics Say It’s Time New York Ends 1885 Scaffold Law

Years before skyscrapers, when New York City’s tallest building was still the 281-foot spire of Wall Street’s historic Trinity Church, state lawmakers passed the Scaffold Law, which made property owners and contractors liable for most “gravity-related” injuries to workers on …