DP2

DecisionPoint
http://proethica.org/ontology/cases#DecisionPoint

DP2

Should Engineer A distribute a business card listing a State E mailing address alongside the P.E. designation, relying on the explicit identification of licensed states (B, C, D) to rebut any geographic inference of State E licensure, or must the card achieve geographic alignment between the address and the states of licensure?

Engineer A distributes a business card that lists a State E mailing address alongside the P.E. designation, but explicitly identifies States B, C, and D as the jurisdictions of licensure. The card creates a potential geographic inference that Engineer A is licensed in State E, but the explicit licensure notation rebuts that inference. The question is whether explicit licensure-state disclosure is sufficient to cure the misleading geographic representation created by the address mismatch.

Distribute the card as presented, relying on the explicit identification of States B, C, and D as the jurisdictions of licensure to rebut any inference that State E licensure exists, on the basis that this disclosure provides recipients with the material information needed to assess the geographic scope of Engineer A's legal authority.

Revise the card to list a mailing address in one of the states where licensure is held (B, C, or D) rather than State E, achieving geographic alignment between the address and the licensure jurisdictions and eliminating the need to rely on explicit disclosure to rebut the geographic inference.

Retain the State E address but add a prominent disclaimer on the card face stating that Engineer A is not licensed in State E, going beyond mere identification of licensed states to affirmatively negate the geographic inference for recipients who might not process the licensure-state listing as a sufficient rebuttal.

Engineer A (Situation 2)