Keeping Pool Contractors Out Of The Courtroom

A client contacted a pool contractor, wanting a bid to perform repair work on a job completed by another contractor. The client said they were not pursuing litigation or making an insurance claim – they just want the project fixed correctly.

Avoid Making Statements That May Come Back To Haunt You

If you find yourself in this situation – tread carefully. ONLY provide a written estimate of your proposed repairs and your installation specifications. Oftentimes, once the client receives the estimated cost of repairs, they will change their mind about litigation or filing an insurance claim against the original contractor. If you made statements about the cause of a failure, quality of the workmanship or code compliance, it will come back to haunt you.

The pool contractor was subpoenaed to appear in court, to repeat the verbal & written statements he made about the causation and workmanship. And he was only compensated at a rate predetermined by the court – less than minimum wage, like a juror. He was also sued by the original contractor for slander & libel, due to some false assumptions he made and had expressed about the failure.

How do you avoid being drawn into litigation as a witness for the plaintiff?

Simple…It is human nature to want to impress people with our knowledge. But, this is the time to “bite your lip.”

It is best to listen to the client’s complaint, take diligent notes & copious pictures and prepare a repair estimate back in the office. Limit your comments to the weather & sports. If you see things they are not aware of, merely include them in your cost of repairs. Do not discuss the workmanship or the suspected cause of any failure.

Remember – They already know the project is screwed up… that’s why they called you. If they want to know WHY it’s screwed up, then they should hire someone who will perform a thorough inspection, forensic evaluation or testing and render a written opinion – for a fee. Stay out of the courtroom, by learning what not to say.

Swimming Pool Expert Witness