Can engineers be sued as individuals if they follow their company guidelines?

Engineers can indeed be sued as individuals even if they are adhering to their company's guidelines. This is rooted in the concept of personal liability, which allows for individuals to be held accountable for their actions, especially if they have acted negligently or outside the bounds of ethical practice.

When an engineer is responsible for design or execution that leads to harm or negligence, they may be personally liable regardless of the directives from their employer. The law establishes that actions taken or decisions made by an individual can have legal repercussions, and following company protocols does not shield an engineer from personal responsibility if those protocols are deemed insufficient or if the engineer knowingly engages in unethical or illegal behavior.

This understanding emphasizes the duality of accountability in engineering practices; while companies can also be held liable, individuals are not exempt from facing scrutiny. Hence, the recognition of individual responsibility is crucial in ethical engineering practices. This scenario serves as a reminder for engineers to be vigilant not only about their adherence to company procedures but also about the ethical implications of their work, as they can be held liable for their personal decisions and actions within a professional context.