LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF ENGINEERS
Engineering is considered to be a profession, it is, like other professions, said to be self-regulating. This phrase usually means that the members of the profession act ethically and competently. Professions typically organize associations and societies that, in turn, adopt codes of ethics to govern professional conduct.
Engineers cannot practice their profession without remaining aware at all times of the potential of liability for mistakes in judgement, intentional wrongdoing, or even inadvertent mistakes.
Anytime time a party, including an engineer, enters into a contract, his or her rights and responsibilities are defined with reference to the language of the contract. No one should ever sign a written contract without reading the entire contract and understanding its terms.