Other Services

Dispute Resolution and Expert Witness

Coopers are employed to review, advise and determine solutions for construction problems that can lead to disputes and litigation. The problems can be due to inadequate investigation, poor design, construction defects or contamination events.

We can provide independent Expert Witness services in support of litigation or arbitration where required by developers, property owners, and statutory bodies.

Third party reviewing of reports for developers is undertaken to determine initially whether a cost effective and practicable solution has been derived for the proposed development.  The science behind the report is also assessed to confirm that the assumptions made are credible and are in accordance with current guidance.  Reports are also reviewed utilising in house data to confirm that essential information has not been overlooked or ignored.  This service is frequently undertaken for developers purchasing parcels of land that are offered with the benefit of existing geotechnical or environmental reports.

Coopers are often asked to attend site to assess defects associated with foundation failures, structural defects, ground movements, and contamination events attributed to poor workmanship or negligence by contractors or developers.  This is an independent assessment of workmanship quality and normally requires us to provide the best solution for resolving the issue.  We will mediate, where necessary, between building control, statutory regulators and developers to ensure that an appropriate solution is derived.

We can respond very quickly and deal effectively with contamination events which occur during the construction phase. Investigation is carried out to determine the extent of the contamination and remediation measure instigated to mitigate potential risks.  Recommendations to prevent a repeat of the incident may be provided depending upon the type of incident.

Party Wall issues are addressed as part of our Structural Services.