The  Ethical Responsibility: When the Forensic Engineer is Faced with Notifying Occupants to Vacate

Gregory Boso

doi:10.51501/jotnafe.v41i2.864

Authors

Gregory Boso NAFE, NSPE, ASCE, ICC, ACI https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4398-9604

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51501/jotnafe.v41i2.864

Keywords:

safety, unsafe conditions, landslide, obligation, ethical responsibility, construction defect, ethics, tunnel vision, forensic engineering

Abstract

Holding the obligation to protect life, safety and welfare paramount required the forensic engineer in this case to notify the homeowner to vacate her new home constructed in an active landslide. The forensic engineering evaluation of a four-year-old home revealed extensive damages caused by active soil mass flow in glacial lake deposit soils and a natural spring that imposed excessive hydrostatic pressure on the front foundation wall. The homeowner remained in the home for nearly four years during the investigations while insurers and their engineers argued over coverage. The structural analysis revealed significant probability of imminent collapse, threatening the safety and welfare of occupants and creating both a compelling necessity and an ethical obligation to notify the homeowner of grave peril to the occupants and their need to vacate and abandon the premises.

References

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