Need advice how to fix this mess: soil under the footings is soft

[Redlands Okie]

Why would the engineer be paid, if their design can not be trusted to be acceptable. Engineer is guaranteeing the foundation design will work

Ideally your correct. In the real world, good luck. Plans are a guide line and any errors or problems will be dealt with as need. Almost always at the project owners expense. Lots of wiggle room in process and fine print in general.

 

[orezok]

Before I retired, I built public schools for a living, over $500 million worth. All of our engineers and architects were required to have E&O and there were several times when we collected from them. Generally not from the insurer, but the engineer or architect pay the claims themselves to avoid complications with their insurer. Sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.

An enginer or architect that goes bare is like a person not having liability on their car. You can't afford to not have it.