Legal and Insurance Disputes in Earthquake Engineering
co-sponsored by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)
Ezra Jampole, Ph.D., P.E. – Senior Engineer, Exponent, Inc.
In an ideal world, an engineer’s involvement in a structure would end after construction is finished. But the reality is that many structures are subject to costly litigation or arbitration because of allegations of inadequate design or performance. Additionally, when a structure is subjected to extreme loading such as from an earthquake, insurance disputes arise regarding the source of damage and if the damage was caused by the earthquake, and who is responsible. This talk will review the types of legal disputes that structural engineers can find themselves in and how expert witnesses are used to sort through the issues and provide independent opinions. Several case studies on earthquake engineering disputes will be discussed, including: alleged reduction in the earthquake-resisting capacity of a building because of water intrusion; distinguishing between damage caused by earthquakes and caused by other actions following a large earthquake, the alleged insufficient earthquake resistant design of transportation infrastructure in a high-seismic zone, and more.
This seminar is organized by members of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Dr. Ezra Jampole is a senior engineer at Exponent in New York City. He specializes in risk analysis and performance of structures subjected to extreme loads such as earthquakes, wind, and flood events. He has served as a consultant on projects assessing the origin of damage to structures following natural disasters, adjacent construction incidents, corrosion and deterioration, settlement, and long-term issues. He has substantial experience investigating the engineering standard of care for complex energy and infrastructure projects.
Dr. Jampole also currently serves as an adjunct professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he teaches a graduate course on structural dynamics and researches high-performance concrete materials. He is extensively involved in the EERI through their Learning from Earthquakes Program and Younger Members Committee.
All graduate seminars hosted by the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering are FREE and open to the public. Attendance is required for all enrolled CaSE graduate students.
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