By Mark A. Froehlich
Assistant Vice President, Senior Claims Examiner
Berkley Alliance Managers, a Berkley Company
July 14, 2022
Centralizing claims and risk management responsibilities for architectural and engineering firms provides significant benefits. It saves time, reduces cost and improves outcomes.
Based on decades of managing complex architects and engineers professional liability claims, I recommend designating a specific individual as risk manager to supervise all claims and potential risk issues for your firm — regardless of the size of your firm.
I have worked with many architectural and engineering firms and I can confirm that having a designated risk manager in place is more efficient. Some firms establish a standalone risk manager role, while others assign risk management responsibilities to a firm leader.
Project managers are necessary to communicate details of specific project issues, but they are often too busy managing projects to also effectively manage claims. Alternatively, assigning this role to a firm leader or another designated person allows more efficient communication with brokers, insurers and attorneys.
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