Jay Vaughn

This 3-hour session provides a step-by-step roadmap for building a robust case against construction entities with a tactical toolkit necessary to identify, vet, and litigate road construction negligence.

1. Immediate Investigation & Preservation

Learn the critical "Day One" actions required to preserve a rapidly changing environment:

• Effective scene inspections with professional civil and design engineers.
• How to document pavement edge drop-offs, a primary contributor to roadway departure crashes.
• Effectively use stat DOT photo logs and email correspondence.
• Drafting preservation letters to contractors to protect digital and physical evidence isn't destroyed.

2. The Paper Trail: Construction Documents

A contractor is legally bound by their project’s specific documentation but often deviates from the required plans to save time or money. We will teach you how to obtain and analyze these critical records:

• The Bid Tab Award Sheet & Project Estimate
• Notice to Begin Work & Notice of Letting
• Daily Work Reports (DWR) & Field Notes (the “black box” of construction cases).
• Standard Drawings & Typical Sections
• Change Orders
• Final Inspection Reports

3. Key Industry Resources & Standards

We will explore the primary resources used to establish the "Standard of Care":

• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD): The "Bible" of roadway safety.
• State DOT Standard Specifications: Understand the "Authority of the Engineer" and the "Project Traffic Coordinator (PTC)" roles.
• Internal Company Safety Manuals

*This is a new offering as part of TLU’s Advanced Deposition Strategy and Practice training using Advanced Deposition College faculty and authors Phillip H. Miller and Edward J. Ciarimboli, J. Vaughn, and Joseph V. Camerlengo.