The Texas Supreme Court recently carved out a construction contract exception to the tort of negligent misrepresentation that had been consistently applied in business transactions in Texas for some 50 years.
In LAN/STV v. Martin K. Eby Construction Co., Inc. 455 SW2d 234 (Tex. 2014), a contractor, Eby, claimed that the architect/engineer, LAN, provided plans and specifications to the owner, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), for Eby’s use in preparing its bid, and that the documents were replete with false information causing Eby financial loss. This theory was consistent with prior law in Texas where, for example, an attorney who prepared an inaccurate title opinion for a mortgage company was held liable to a land purchaser who the attorney could reasonably expect to rely on for that opinion, McCamish, Martin, Brown and Loeffle v. F.E. Appling Interests, 991 SW2d 787 (Tex. 1999)