ACEC/MN Risk Management Forum- Climate Change and the Standard of Care for Design Professionals

Description

Extreme weather events driven by climate change are increasing in both frequency and severity. In 2024, the United States experienced 27 weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each, including seventeen severe storm events (e.g. tornadoes, high wind, and hailstorms). The total cost of these events exceeded $182.7 billion. For the time period from 1980-2024, the average was 9 $1 billion events per year; for the most recent 5 years (2020-2024), however, the average was 23 $1 billion events per year (totals CPI-adjusted). Source: NOAA https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/ 
 
How will the standard of care evolve in response to climate change and the risk of extreme weather events? To what extent will design professionals be required to consider these risks in the design of their projects? What steps can design professionals take to make sure they are meeting the standard of care, and are able to demonstrate compliance in the event of a claim? Join construction lawyer and insurance broker Karen Erger for a discussion of these issues and actionable ideas for your practice.
 
About the speaker: Karen Erger is Senior Vice President, Director of Practice Risk Management for Lockton, the world’s largest privately owned independent insurance brokerage. Drawing upon her experience as a construction lawyer in private practice and as a claim supervisor for a major insurer of architects’ and engineers’ professional liability, Karen consults with Lockton’s architecture, engineering, and construction clients on practice management issues, including complex claims and contracts, and provides risk management training and resources. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Chicago and earned her law degree at the University of Chicago Law School.