Professionals owe their clients a duty to act with reasonable care and skill in the provision of professional services. If a professional fails to do so, a client may have a legal right to claim compensation for any financial loss suffered.
Professionals who may come within the ambit of professional negligence include:
- accountants
- advertising agents
- alternative health professionals
- architects
- auditors
- bankers
- building consultants
- builders
- computer consultants
- dentists and doctors
- engineers
- financial planners
- fund managers
- legal practitioners
- real estate agents & valuers
- surveyors
- trustees
- veterinarians
Claims of professional negligence may arise due to misleading professional advice, poor financial advice, negligent treatment by medical practitioners, accounting error, engineering mistakes, real estate misrepresentations, and incorrect property evaluations.
A professional negligence claim may include compensation for loss of profit and/or expenses incurred in remedying the negligence. To make a claim for professional negligence, a person is required to establish that:
- there was a duty of care owed to them by the professional
- the professional breached their duty of care
- the person has suffered an injury or damage owing to breach of duty by the professional
A claim of compensation for loss and/or injury sustained due to professional negligence may include legal costs, professional service expenses and all past and future financial loss or expenses likely to accrue from such negligence.
A claim for professional negligence is sometimes accompanied by a claim for breach of contract also.
Time limits apply to claims to certain types of claims and it is therefore imperative you seek urgent legal advice. Our team of experienced professional negligence litigation lawyers can assist you:
- investigate whether duty of care has been breached and if a claim can be made
- explore avenues for compensation
- advise the best course of action to manage risk and maximize return
