There is an ongoing trend in construction-defect litigation where lawsuits or arbitration claims involving contract, payment, or punch-list disputes transform into stubborn, unpredictable, and litigated disputes for which fees and expert costs far exceed the actual issues in dispute.
The underlying contracts in these matters often contain a prevailing party-fee clause, but little else with respect to key terms.
These matters, because of cost and attorney-fee exposure, rarely go to trial or arbitration, and we don’t have the opportunity to see how courts would rule in such matters if they were given the chance. Recently, the Oregon Court of Appeals issued an opinion…
Read the full article in the Winter 2018 issue of CLM Construction Claims magazine: http://online.pubhtml5.com/adfn/ffzy/#p=18.