Plant Christensen & Kanell Attorneys at Law

PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY

Plant, Christensen & Kanell provides legal representation in many different professional liability arenas. This includes representation of design professionals (architects, engineers, and surveyors), attorneys, accountants, doctors and other medical professionals, insurance agents/brokers, and real estate agents/brokers. The firm handles professional liability claims in virtually every professional service category.

Design Professional Liability

Design professional liability defense has been a part of Plant, Christensen & Kanell’s practice for many years, and has become a significant part of its practice during the last 15 years.  The firm currently handles design professional claims for 5 different design professional liability carriers.  The firm defends many architects, engineers, and surveyors, and also counsels design professionals on risk management and contracts. 

The firm’s experience in design professional liability cases includes many notable projects in the state of Utah.  Examples include:

• • Structural collapse of Goldminer’s Daughter Lodge, Alta, Utah
• • Concourse wall panel failures at Salt Lake International Airport
• • Delay claims related to the expansion of the Salt Lake Convention Center
• • Alleged design and construction deficiencies on the Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah
• • Structural failure of roof mast at the Olympic Speed Skating Oval, Kearns, Utah

Insurance Agent/Broker Liability

Plant, Christensen & Kanell has defended numerous cases against insurance agents and brokers.  The firm’s expertise in insurance law provides significant insight on such claims.  Past experience has included representation of one of the largest insurance brokers in the world in a case involving insurance coverage for claims arising out of the Wilberg Mine fire.  The Wilberg Mine fire caused the deaths of 27 miners and resulted in insurance coverage litigation between the mine operator, the mine owner, and two separate lines of insurance covering the mine operator and the mine owner.  Plant, Christensen & Kanell successfully defended the broker of the mine operator’s insurance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, obtaining summary judgments on all claims filed against the broker by the various insurers.  All summary judgments were affirmed by the United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Utah Power & Light Co. v. Federal Insurance Co., et al., 983 F.2d 1549 (10th Cir. 1993).      

Real Estate Agent/Broker Liability

The lawyers of Plant, Christensen & Kanell have extensive experience representing the legal interests of real estate agents and brokers.  The firm handles many cases alleging a variety of claims, errors and omissions against agents/brokers.  Its defense of real estate agents and brokers has often resulted in the granting of summary judgment in favor of the agent/broker.