Professional and Career Topics

The lawsuit the State of Rhode Island brought against thirteen companies for failing to disclose problems with an aging bridge came up on our most moderator group call. Here's a link to one of many articles on the topic. I am not expecting that anyone wants to touch this subject. However, it would be great for one or more of our ASCE leaders to respond with perspective on the situation and how we might respond if asked about the lawsuit. It would also be interesting to hear from our ASCE leaders regarding how the ASCE is planning to respond. This lawsuit has and will have a chilling impact on how we carry out our jobs.

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Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
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Thanks for these notes Mitch.

For such matters you noted, and based on history with similar matters,

a. Silence is golden . . .for now.

b. Legal experts will step up.

c. Lessons-learned will result in add/deletes to our professional services contracts.

Cheers,

Bill

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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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ASCE does not typically comment on individual court cases except by way of an amicus curiae brief, which would require a determination by the Executive Committee that the case is of "major importance to the general area of civil engineering or to the Society."  At this stage, it is too early in the litigation to tell whether an amicus brief would be appropriate, but we will certainly take note of this case as it proceeds.  Thank you for sharing this information with us!

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Tara Hoke Aff.M.ASCE
ASCE
Reston VA
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Thanks, Tara, for your response. It will be interesting to see how this case plays out. 

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Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
Houston, TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2024 04:00 PM
From: Tara Hoke
Subject: Lawsuit Mayhem - ASCE Leaders Please Respond

ASCE does not typically comment on individual court cases except by way of an amicus curiae brief, which would require a determination by the Executive Committee that the case is of "major importance to the general area of civil engineering or to the Society."  At this stage, it is too early in the litigation to tell whether an amicus brief would be appropriate, but we will certainly take note of this case as it proceeds.  Thank you for sharing this information with us!

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Tara Hoke Aff.M.ASCE
ASCE
Reston VA
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