Overview
Paul Gaston gives contractor standard-of-care opinions for retaining counsel, insurers and owners in Chicago, Cook County and the wider Chicagoland area. He evaluates whether a contractor, subcontractor or trade performed to the industry standard in how the work was planned, sequenced, coordinated and executed, based on decades running the same work as foreman, superintendent and licensed general contractor.
Related: Chicago Construction Safety Expert · ExpertWitnessChicago.com
Standard of care is about conduct. It asks what a reasonably careful contractor would have done in the same circumstances, and whether the performance on this project met that measure.
Means and methods
Sequencing, coordination between trades, protection of completed work, supervision and the decisions made in the field are reviewed against how competent contractors handle the same conditions.
- Sequencing and coordination between trades and subcontractors
- Supervision, quality control and correction of defective work
- Protection of finished work and adjacent existing conditions
Basis for the opinion
Paul has held the roles being examined. Foreman, superintendent and licensed general contractor across commercial, municipal, healthcare and retail projects, including large-scale renovation at O'Hare. That direct experience is what makes an experience-based standard-of-care opinion admissible and useful.
- Contract and scope review
- Field sequence reconstruction
- Supervision and QC records
- Comparison to accepted practice
- Findings and rebuttal
Prior retentions
Paul has been retained on this basis in construction-defect matters including Scott v. Hartz Construction, Englehaupt v. A.B. Edward Enterprises and Talley v. Thunder Basin Homes.