Have you ever been named in a lawsuit, or sat through a deposition? Corey Zussman thinks everyone in construction should, at least once.
Corey runs quality for AECOM Hunt. A licensed architect with 15 years in design before he crossed to the contractor side, and forensic work underneath it all. He told me that every construction professional and every architect should go through a deposition, real or mock. His word for it was eye-opening. And his point is what it does to you afterward.
When you've sat through a deposition, you learn to handle the next field issue differently. You realize that whatever you're saying, seeing, or approving could show up in some lawyer's office 2, 10, even 20 years from now.
Most of the things discussed in these are rarely public record. They're treated as confessions. Here is one Corey could tell.
A waterproofing manufacturer's rep told his team to use a product that was wrong for the application. And it was going over electrical equipment, so potentially endangering lives.
Corey did not argue with the rep. He called the manufacturer directly so the company understood two things: what their rep had said on site, and the liability they would have been holding if the crew had installed it that way.
The rep meant well. He answered fast, without the whole picture. Corey's standard for reps is plain: if you do not have the full context, say you will get back to them after you check, even if it costs the schedule a day or more.
I get that nobody wants to be the one who slows the job. But don't rush to give an answer. Because that answer could be the sentence that gets read back.
The specialty trade installing your product carries the most risk on that wall. I've watched more than one go out of business over it. The rep who says "let me check" protects the trade, the GC, and the company whose name is on the warranty. Understanding contract risk and jobsite secrets from attorneys who handle these cases makes the stakes even clearer.
A deposition teaches you that every sentence on a job site has a shelf life. Say only what you can stand behind in two years.
When reps spend time on job sites, they learn to see situations fully before answering. That perspective is what separates the rep who builds trust from the one whose words come back in discovery.
Corey is speaking at Advancing Construction Quality in Phoenix, September 21.
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