Bill Haydt to present at the Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC) on October 14, 2025 titled “Do Your Claims Specifications Really Say What You Think They Say: A Case Study”

Your specifications are the number one tool you have to manage and mitigate claims on your projects. Often, we draft these specifications with the belief that they address particular issues in a way that will prevent claims from arising. However, time and time again, claims still rear their ugly heads, including ones based in the same specification sections we prepared to squash the claim from seeing the light of day. So, it begs the question, “do our claims specifications really say what we think they say?” This presentation will present three case studies, each focusing on a claims-related specification that was designed to prevent or mitigate claims. Instead, these same specifications were used as a means of recovery rather than a means of prevention.

This presentation will help attendees better understand DOT specifications related to construction claims and will assist them in understanding how those specifications are used to both generate and also rebut contract claims. This will put attendees in a better position to see claims coming, and to refine their contract documents to prevent loopholes from being exploited.

Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference | Ohio Department of Transportation