The Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors, & Geologists under the California Consumer Affairs Department licenses qualified engineers and land surveyors to serve in various capacities. Although a license permits you to discharge your services throughout the state, it does not protect you from the multiple challenges engineers and surveyors meet in their line of duty. Challenges occur when you must satisfy all your clients’ needs and abide by the state, federal, and local rules and regulations governing your profession. The problem is that a violation can land you in grave problems, including threatening your professional license and livelihood.
Skilled license attorneys understand these challenges and are willing to help you defend your license whenever it is at risk. You can rely on our expert advice and assistance at Law Office of Sara L. Caplan if you face professional misconduct allegations in Los Angeles. Thanks to our skills and experience, we can fight for a favorable outcome in your situation.
California Engineers and Land Surveyors
The Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors, & Geologists licenses various engineers with unique and specialized skills to provide invaluable services within California. The board sets the professional code of conduct for engineers and land surveys and determines the laws these professionals must abide by in their service delivery. If you are a trained engineer, you will apply for a general professional, structural, or geotechnical engineer license. Your level of training and on-the-job experience will guide you when filing this application.
Once you become a certified engineer, you will provide your services to private companies, for the government, or start your practice. You get to keep that license as long as your services are of good quality and you abide by the state regulations and professional code. A violation can cause the board to suspend or revoke your license, marking the end of a career that has taken a long time, more money, and outstanding dedication to build.
Let us briefly look at the duties of popular engineers in California:
Land Surveyors
These are project planners whose expertise is relied upon by municipal planning committees, miners, and contractors to make critical decisions. Surveyors consider the natural topography to help determine how infrastructure should be built, the distances between buildings and structures, and how not to interfere with underground piping and electrical wires when building foundations. They also research property titles and handle documents and requirements to ensure everything is legally done.
Without the assistance of a land surveyor, some projects will not be built. They use data, maps, and other tools to offer valuable advice and opinions in designing and constructing critical structures. Sadly, a mistake when giving this advice or airing your opinion can result in severe damage and threaten your professional license.
Geologists
These are licensed professionals who analyze soils and related elements for critical decisions. For example, they help determine the suitability of a particular area for construction according to the type of soil. They also investigate areas suspected of a volcano and give their opinion. Geologists also summarize research reports and interpret data in these reports to ensure expert findings during a field survey are considered when making particular decisions. They can monitor seismographs and plan various stages in constructing tunnels and bridges for public safety.
Any negligent or wrongful interpretation of information can threaten your geologist license, causing you to lose a critical career to you and others who depend on it for safety or livelihood.
Civil Engineers
These licensed professionals oversee the building of critical infrastructure like tunnels, bridges, roadways, runaways, seaports, and sewage systems. Their training and experiences help ensure these infrastructures are constructed according to a well-laid strategy that maximizes efficiency and public safety. Civil engineers are mainly trained to handle critical infrastructure, but modern-day civilization would still be a dream without their expertise.
However, you need a lot of training or experience to serve successfully as a civil engineer. This highly demanding career requires years of dedication and training to acquire the necessary skills and expertise. Even after raining, civil engineers must work alongside other experts to polish their skills before applying for a professional license.
Sadly, you can lose it all due to a mistake, omission, or false allegation. You need a skilled license attorney to guide you in fighting for a license that has cost you more money and time to obtain.
Mechanical Engineers
These are the types of professionals who specialize in the design and construction of powerful machines that produce and transmit power. They are experts who understand how to convert any energy into safe and useful energy for practical use. A part of your work as a mechanical engineer entails designing engines for various automobiles, aircraft, and commercial power saws. Some mechanical engineers are also used in the designing of nuclear power plants.
These, too, need adequate training and experience to make critical decisions in designing and constructing efficient and safe structures. However, their involvement in the mechanical industry puts them at risk of lawsuits and allegations of professional misconduct. A mistake or disagreement puts your career in jeopardy. However, relying on a competent lawyer can help save your career.
The Duties and Objectives of the Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors, & Geologists
The board’s primary duty is to enforce licensing requirements for trained engineers or land surveyors. It ensures individuals and businesses offering critical services in various industries abide by the required code of conduct and maintain professionalism and competence. The board also set rules to safeguard the public against engineers and land surveyors who fall short of the licensing and professional requirements. Thus, the primary duty of this board is to the public. Although it is responsible for licensing qualified engineers, the board does all its duties to keep the public safe from unsafe and unprofessional practices.
The Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors, & Geologists achieves this in many ways. First, it sets health and safety standards that every engineer must abide by in service delivery. It also ensures qualified engineers understand local, state, and federal laws affecting their service delivery. The board also investigates any issues reported regarding licensed engineers to ensure that certified professionals meet the end of their bargain when serving the public. If an engineer is found violating any law or code of conduct, the board imposes appropriate penalties to discourage similar violations in the future.
The board has a long list of violations that could affect the reputation, job, or license of California's professional engineers or land surveyors. It also lists disciplinary measures the board takes against professionals found guilty of unprofessional conduct. Some disciplinary actions are lenient, while others are severe, depending on the underlying violation and an engineer’s track record of performance. For example, the board can issue a citation against your misconduct or revoke your professional license. Since it is difficult to predict the outcome of an administrative procedure, you should find yourself a skilled license attorney. Your attorney will help you prepare an excellent defense to ensure you do not lose your career or reputation.
Complaints and Investigations by the Board of Engineers
Anyone can file a complaint against a licensed engineer in California, including the professional’s clients, employer, colleagues, or family members. Most allegations come from dissatisfied clients, partners, and employers. The board receives many complaints, with some being more serious than others. Since it cannot investigate and act upon all complaints and allegations it receives, the board must consider the severity of an allegation to determine the right course of action. In that case, it can drop your complaint if it is unsubstantiated or start an immediate investigation for severe violations.
If the board decides to investigate your case, it will notify you of the allegations against you and the day you must appear before administrative judges for an administrative process. This is the time to start preparing your defense to ensure the case is ruled in your favor. A qualified attorney can help determine the severity of your case, the possible course of action the board will take against you, and the proper defense to protect your license and reputation. They can also appear in the hearings on your behalf and negotiate for a favorable settlement with the board to protect your livelihood.
Here are the three main actions the board takes after investigating a complaint against a professional engineer:
- Dismissing the matter for lack of sufficient evidence against the engineer
- Issuing a citation against the engineer and demanding a fine
- Issuing a reprimand letter to warn the engineer against similar conduct in the future
- Revoking or suspending the engineer's license
All these disciplinary actions will affect your permit and career in one way or another. For example, citations can damage your excellent reputation, causing you to lose your job and clients. It will also be challenging to find new clients with a damaged reputation. A fine can be more expensive than you can pay, affecting your financial well-being. A reprimand letter can also affect your reputation, job, and social life.
The board uses revocations and suspensions in cases of severe violations. These will affect your livelihood and reputation, making it difficult to find jobs afterward. Although you can reinstate your license after suspension, the process is long and complex. You need a competent attorney’s help fighting your allegations to avoid severe consequences.
Accusations That Could Result in License Suspension or Revocation
The Board of Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists has listed examples of violations that can trigger an administrative process on its website. Professional engineers must be careful not to commit these violations, as they can initiate disciplinary action by their licensing board. The board can dismiss a minor allegation or issue a citation or reprimand letter to caution you against similar violations. However, grave violations can result in a more stern disciplinary action by the board. If you broke a state or federal law or endangered the public, you risk losing your license to revocation or suspension.
Thus, if you face an allegation that could result in the suspension or revocation of your license, you must hire an attorney immediately. Planning your defense early helps you obtain evidence and prepare compelling statements that could change the outcome of your case. Your attorney can also explore other factors, like mitigating factors, that could compel the judge to give a more lenient discipline. For example, if your attorney clarifies to the administrative judge that the violation is your first, and you have maintained an excellent performance record in years, the outcome could be more favorable.
Here are examples of violations that could put your engineering license at risk:
- Failing to abide by the set trade standards
- Breaking the terms of your contracts, causing your clients to suffer significant losses
- Abandoning a project without a valid reason
- Being fraudulent or deceptive
- Committing a crime that potentially affects your professionalism
- Incompetence or negligence in service delivery
- Sexual harassment or any other professional misconduct with a colleague or client
You have a right to a hearing, during which you can respond to the allegations against you. A qualified attorney can use that hearing to compel the administrative judge to dismiss your allegations or agree to a fair settlement. If the violation is grave and the possible penalty is license revocation, your lawyer can negotiate with the board for a lenient resolution, like suspension or probation.
Find a Professional License Attorney Near Me
Obtaining a professional engineer license does not mean you get to keep it for life. You can lose your license after a few or many years of practice. The licensing board for professional engineers and land surveyors is always watching out, ensuring that licensed professionals offer quality and safe services. An allegation of professional misconduct puts your livelihood at risk.
If you face allegations of unprofessional conduct at the Law Office of Sara L. Caplan, we could help determine the best fighting strategy. Our skills and experience in administrative hearings and procedures enable us to explain the gravity of your allegations, possible penalties, and defense strategies that could change the case outcome. Call us at 310-550-5877 to discuss our services in Los Angeles at length.
