{"id":899057,"date":"2021-08-24T14:51:22","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T20:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=899057"},"modified":"2021-08-24T14:51:24","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T20:51:24","slug":"indemnification-provision-unenforceable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/indemnification-provision-unenforceable\/","title":{"rendered":"When is an Indemnification Provision Unenforceable?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christpher G. Hill | Construction Law Musings<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virginia Code Sec. 11-4.1\u00a0makes indemnification provisions in construction contracts that are so broad as to indemnify the indemnitee from its own negligence unenforceable.\u00a0 Of course, this begs the question as to what language of indemnification provisions<\/a> make them unenforceable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A case from the City of Chesapeake Virginia Circuit Court examined this question.  In Wasa Props., LLC v. Chesapeake Bay Contrs., Inc., 103 Va. Cir 423 [unfortunately I can\u2019t find a copy to which to link], Wasa Properties (\u201cWasa\u201d) hired Chesapeake Bay Contractors (\u201cCBC\u201d) to perform utility work at Lake Thrasher in the Tidewater area of Virginia.  Wasa then alleged that CBC breached the contract and caused over $400,000 in damages due to incorrectly installed water lines.  Wasa used the following indemnification language as the basis for its suit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Owner and his agents and employees from and against all claims, damages, losses, and expenses, including but not limited to attorney\u2019s fees arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Work.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

CBC sought to dismiss the suit because the provisions stated above required CBC to indemnify Wasa for its own negligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Court disagreed stating that, based on the totality of the contract, the definition of the Work under the contract, and the fact that CBC was the party to perform the Work, the provision did not expressly require indemnification for Wasa\u2019s negligence in violation of Va. Code Sec. 11-4.1.  The Court further stated that the circumstances of the claim for indemnification were not relevant to the analysis in light of the language of the contract.  In short, the claim for indemnification could proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My takeaways from this case are twofold.\u00a0 The first is that the\u00a0contract is king\u00a0here in Virginia.\u00a0 The unambiguous language of a contract will almost always trump other circumstances surrounding your contract claim or defense.\u00a0 The second is that it is likely that the \u201cTo the fullest extent permitted by law\u201d language was part of the analysis.\u00a0 This language arguably limited the breadth of the provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, and as I often do here at Musings, I recommend the advice of an\u00a0experienced Virginia construction attorney\u00a0when analyzing potential contract language and legal strategies relating to your project and potential claims and defenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christpher G. Hill | Construction Law Musings Virginia Code Sec. 11-4.1\u00a0makes indemnification provisions in construction contracts that are so broad as to indemnify the indemnitee from its own negligence unenforceable.\u00a0 Of course, this begs the question as to what language of indemnification provisions make them unenforceable. A case from the City of Chesapeake Virginia Circuit… Continue reading When is an Indemnification Provision Unenforceable?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,172],"tags":[9895,224,10742],"class_list":["post-899057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-contracts","category-construction-law-2","tag-advise-consult","tag-construction-contract","tag-indemnification-provision","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhen is an Indemnification Provision Unenforceable? 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