Quinn Johnston’s Peoria-based construction lawyers have the specialized knowledge and experience to help resolve disputes and claims for construction site owners, contractors, construction managers, and engineering professionals. Our clients have been involved in projects ranging from highways, hotels, office buildings, retail developments, public works, single-family homes, multi-family housing facilities, to utilities.
Our experience in related areas of practice, such as construction accident litigation, employment law, tax law and real estate development allow our attorneys to assist clients with any construction problem. Negotiating and drafting clear contracts prevents future conflicts from arising and reduces the probability of future disagreements. When disagreements do occur, we work with our clients and the other parties to find a favorable solution that avoids negative publicity and maintains good working relationships.
Legal Representation during Construction Disputes
A variety of claims can arise during and after construction. Our firm has successfully handled disputes involving:
- Denial of site access
- Design deficiencies (architectural and engineering)
- Structural failures
- Defective workmanship
- Delay claims
- Disruption and lost productivity claims
- Late completion
- Slope failures
- Shoring failures
- Concrete failures and defects
- Failure to meet performance bonds and guarantees
- Warranty claims
- Work-site accidents and safety violations
Quinn Johnston’s Peoria and Springfield attorneys are mindful of financial concerns and work to keep our services affordable. Our construction litigation attorneys have experience resolving cases in a variety of manners, including trial litigation, settlement negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. We work with our clients to determine the best litigation tools to use in each case, including retention of expert witnesses.
Representative Cases
Tazewell County Jury Finds for Carpentry Subcontractor after Marble and Tile Floor Failure: Plaintiff was general contractor for the construction of a spec home. He had no experience in any construction trade, but had served as general contractor for several other spec homes that he built. Quinn Johnston represented the carpentry subcontractor who framed the house and laid the OSB subfloor. The codefendant tile contractor installed cement board and tile flooring. Plaintiff lived in the house before selling it, and the flooring began to fail shortly after he moved in. He claimed that our client failed to leave a gap between OSB panels and that the tile contractor failed to properly set the tile. Defendants contended that the Plaintiff deviated from plans by installing heaving tile flooring and heavy fixtures, that he provided substandard materials, and that he failed to coordinate the work and materials used by the two contractors. The jury agreed with the defendants, returning a defense verdict for both defendants after deliberating for less than one hour, finding that the Plaintiff failed to fulfill his obligations as general contractor in a reasonable and workmanlike manner. The jury trial lasted three and a half days and included seven experts.
Quinn Johnston Wins Supreme Court Ruling for Bridge Building Firm: Attorney Greg Cerulo began representing a bridge building firm on the day of the collapse of a work platform suspended from the McCluggage Bridge over the Illinois River between Peoria and East Peoria. The platform collapse resulted in the death of three ironworkers and serious injury to two others. After managing the legal aspects of the incident investigation and completing an exhaustive deposition discovery, Quinn Johnston filed a motion for summary judgment on behalf of our client, claiming that the Exclusive Remedy Provision of the Workers Compensation Act precluded suit by the ironworkers, as the employer of the ironworkers and the bridge building firm were co-joint venturers. At the trial court level, the motion was granted in favor of Quinn Johnston’s clients. When the Illinois Appellate Court disagreed with the decision and ordered a remand of the case to the trial court, Greg Cerulo brought the case to the Illinois Supreme Court and successfully had the summary judgment affirmed. The Illinois Supreme Court decision held that the exclusive remedy provision of the Workers’ Compensation Act extends to co-joint venturers of and any joint venture in which the injured party’s employer participates.
About Quinn Johnston
Quinn Johnston was featured by Fortune Legal Marketplace as a 2013 Top Ranked Law Firm based on Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent ratings for ethical standards and legal ability. Several of our attorneys have also been named as Leading Lawyers by their peers in the Leading Lawyers Network. We represent clients throughout Central Illinois, including in Peoria, Springfield, Bloomington-Normal, Rock Island, Moline, Belleville, Danville, Galesburg, Kankakee, Lincoln, Champaign-Urbana, Quincy and their surrounding areas. Our experienced litigators strongly defend clients while maintaining a high level of professionalism and ethical standards.
