Construction Liability

Harvey Kruse, P.C. is a civil defense firm with extensive experience representing clients in all types of litigation, including those that involve construction liability issues. We are among the largest civil litigation firms in Michigan and have the resources necessary to represent clients in sophisticated construction disputes successfully. The attorneys in our construction liability practice group routinely defend general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, sureties, suppliers, and others in various construction disputes, from complex personal injury claims at a private residence to construction defect litigation centered on a multi-building project.

Construction disputes, as with most other lawsuits, are typically resolved before trial litigation begins. This is not only cost-effective in many cases, but allows each party to avoid the uncertainty of trial by negotiating a controlled “compromise outcome.”  At Harvey Kruse, P.C., we maintain an active and varied practice in alternative dispute resolution. We help our clients navigate the procedural and substantive complexity requisite to the range of available alternative dispute resolution processes, including arbitrations, mediation, facilitation and mini-trials, among others.  In fact, a number of our partners serve as neutral arbitrators and mediators themselves.

Though we have built a nationally-recognized reputation as relentless, willing and able litigators, our approach is fundamentally a practical one. We are committed to keeping the cost and uncertainty of litigation to a minimum.  We often find that our aggressive approach and trial-readiness puts opposing counsel in a vulnerable position, giving us the ability to exercise significant leverage at the negotiating table.  By securing a settlement compromise that meets our client’s goals and expectations, we can resolve the construction dispute expediently and in a satisfactory manner.

Construction Disputes Have Their Share of Unique Challenges

Construction disputes are rarely straightforward.  Aside from basic conflicts and questions over the imposition of liability itself, there are unique challenges relating to the distribution of fault among multiple defendants.  For instance, if you are a subcontractor being sued in a construction defect case, the success of your defense may depend on your ability to shift liability to the general contractor or another subcontractor.

We Understand the Importance of Properly Staffing a Case

Given the complexity inherent to many construction disputes, it is important that your case is properly staffed.  At Harvey Kruse, P.C., the depth of our litigation experience gives us a significant competitive advantage when it comes to staffing our cases.  Early on in the client engagement process, we work to identify the particularities of the case and assign attorneys to the case who have specific experience handling the same or similar disputes. This tends to minimize the friction typical of legal representation in complicated matters.

Of course, if the case develops differently over the course of litigation, we remain flexible and will maneuver staff as necessary to ensure that an attorney who is already familiar with the challenges and opportunities typical of the construction dispute at issue is handling the case.