Construction Litigation, U.S. General Services Administration, 1980–2004

Abstract

This paper presents results from a study analyzing first time litigation brought against the U.S. General Services Administration for the period 1980–2004. Cases were extracted from the general services board of contract appeals and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims decisions. A total of 606 cases were considered from this time period and are characterized by their primary cause. Trend analyses were performed to determine whether the frequency of litigation has increased or decreased. Comparisons are made with similar data sets of Navy Facilities Command and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, and similarities and differences are given. Conclusions are made based on these evaluations concerning the primary causes of litigation among these three agencies, along with recommendations for practitioners.