Correlation and Causation in Construction Claims
Publication: Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
Volume 15, Issue 3
Abstract
In construction claims, in order to prevail, contractors must establish entitlement, causation, and quantum. Though all these aspects can be very challenging, proof of causation often is subtle and intangible. There is no well-defined or one-size-fits-all formula for causation proving identified or endorsed by the courts or boards of contract appeals. In some construction claims, correlation analysis is seen as part of causation demonstration. It often faces the pushback or criticism in the context of the saying correlation is not causation. Then what is the difference between correlation and causation? Under what circumstances or conditions can correlation represent causation? This paper will discuss these issues from mathematical and practical perspectives and provide useful guidelines of using correlation analysis to demonstrate causation in construction claims.
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Data Availability Statement
No data, models, or code were generated or used during the study.
References
List of Cases
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
Volume 15 • Issue 3 • August 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 19, 2022
Accepted: Apr 11, 2023
Published online: Jun 7, 2023
Published in print: Aug 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 7, 2023
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Cited by
- Mehrnoosh Shojaat, Hassan Malekitabar, Hossein Haghayegh Isfahani, Navigating the Complexity of Dispute Management in Construction: A DEMATEL and Bayesian Network Approach, Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction, 10.1061/JLADAH.LADR-1143, 17, 1, (2025).