Construction
Aug. 5, 2026
The license lie that sank a contractor
A contractor that lied about its workers' comp coverage to save its license ended up losing $1.55 million in fees and its ability to sue for payment -- proof that in litigation, the client's own conduct often decides the case.
Garret D. Murai
Partner
Nomos LLP
Email: gmurai@nomosllp.com
Garret is the editor of the California Construction Law Blog at www.calconstructionlawblog.com.
I've lost my share of cases over the years.
Winning, of course, feels great. Losing, not so much. But losing teaches lessons that winning rarely can. At the most practical level, it forces you to take into consideration things that you could have done better or differently. More philosophically, it reminds you that no matter how much we think we're in control, we often have less control than we think. Witnesses will surprise you or come across different...
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