Professional Negligence Case Study: Claim Against an Architect

Robert Johnson, Partner and Head of Professional Negligence at Healys LLP, acted for claimants in a professional negligence claim against an architect, still ongoing.

The clients instructed an architect to design, prepare plans, deal with planning permission, prepare specifications and advise generally in relation to extension works at their residential property. The architect, however, failed to take accurate measurements and produce plans which represented the true position of the property, in particular the boundary between the clients’ property and their neighbours’. These failures led to an infringement of the neighbours’ right to light, which when raised by the neighbours prior to the completion of the works the architect had incorrectly advised there was nothing to worry about. This subsequently became the subject of a dispute which the clients lost and had to pay compensation.  We were instructed to recover the losses suffered from the architect.

The claimant said:

“It has been a privilege to be a client of Robert’s in relation to our property related professional negligence claim. I remember quite clearly when first discussing our case with Robert that he said to me “it is all about the detail”, and that has certainly been Robert’s approach in dealing with our claim. Robert absorbs all of the information he is provided with examining all the granular details to build a solid case and he is also absolutely transparent in his thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of a case. Our case centred around the law of “right to light”, which is an extremely technical and difficult area of law to understand, with there only being a few specialist solicitors and surveyors who understand the intricacies of this law. Nonetheless, Robert has aimed to understand each part of our claim from his specific point of view, and he has helped us navigate a complicated claim. We did approach other firms before thankfully finding Robert at Healys, and they didn’t even have a thorough initial conversation with us to discuss our claim. The initial first phone conversation with Robert felt as if he instantly gauged an understanding of our situation, and we felt comfortable with his opinion on the matter for it to progress further. He is supportive, strategic, responsive, honest and fair and we know when we ask his advice on any matters it will be realistic, thorough and carefully thought out.”

In an interview with Latest TV, Robert discusses what one needs to know when considering a claim against a professional. Watch the full interview here.

Healys Professional Negligence Services

Healys Professional Negligence legal team have acted against most professionals, which includes solicitors, barristers, architects, surveyors, financial advisors and accountants.

Healys Professional Negligence solicitors have an outstanding reputation for gaining the best possible outcomes in professional negligence cases. For more information or advice, please contact us at the link below.

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