PROPER PLANNING CAN DIMINISH RISK FOR HIGHWAY AGENCIES

James Frankel, a New York attorney who specializes in representing owners, builders and users of constructed facilities, writes in the November, 1989 issue of Roads and Bridges magazine that some of the risks that road and bridge failures prove can be diminished, if not eliminated. He suggests that written agreements can ensure that future risks associated with a collapse or failure will be distributed to the parties best able to guard against the risks. Written agreements also have the added benefit of indirectly improving safety because they assign responsibility and discourage "buck passing." Each level of authority, from the owner at the top to the on-site worker at the bottom, needs to be aware of the written agreements. In the event of a failure, the prospect of litigation forces every responsible party to collect evidentiary material. A list is given, showing what, according to Frankel, complete records for litigation should include.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0884612X
• Corporate Authors:

  TranSafety, Incorporated

  5811 Oak Leather Drive
  Burke, VA  United States  22015
• Publication Date: 1989-12

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 7
• Serial:
  • TRANSAFETY REPORTER
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: TranSafety, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0884-612X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Collapse; Contracts; Evidence; Failure; Hazards; Highways; Liability; Litigation; Risk assessment
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Bridges and other structures; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00490509
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1990 12:00AM