5 golden rules for marine surveyors and consultants

The following 5 golden rules are drawn from ITIC’s experience of defending surveyors and consultants. The further articles in this Wire provide you with claims examples of these situations: 

1) Who is my client? Instructions may be received from parties acting on behalf of another. Identify who is your client on day one. Read a claim here.

2) What are they asking me to do? Challenge inadequate or misleading instructions. Make sure you are provided with clear, comprehensive instructions. Read a claim here.

3) What is my survey going to be used for? Ask what is the purpose of your assessment. A survey written for a certain purpose may not have the same result if used for others. Always state that the survey is not for circulation and only issued for the intended recipient and use. State the intended use and purpose in clear words. Read a claim here.

4) What happens if anything goes wrong? Many surveying appointments are casual. As a professional you must have terms and conditions. When anything goes wrong it is best to have clear terms between you and your client as to who is responsible for what. That does not include just professional errors but also personal injuries whilst on site. ITIC has drafted some standard trading conditions for marine surveyors and consultants. Read a claim here and receive details on standard terms, their incorporation and indemnities here.

5) My client is claiming damages, now what? You should notify the circumstance to your professional indemnity insurer. That is when you will understand the value of the insurance you have paid premium for. Claims handling is in fact one of the roles of a professional indemnity insurer. That said, even an “innocent” surveyor can face substantial legal costs dealing with a claim to prove innocence. Read a claim here and get a quote now.