Google tells us that, “a construction defect is a defect in the design, the workmanship, and/or in the materials or systems used on a project that results in a failure of a component part of a building or structure and causes damage to person or property, usually resulting in a financial harm to the owner.” One of the most recent examples of construction defect is the Surfside Condominium Collapse, which happened on June 24, 2021 in Florida. The Surfside Condominium Collapse was a horrible event that killed ninety-eight people and showed just how destructive and deadly construction defects can be.
According to Wikipedia “The Champlain Towers South Condominium stood 12 stories high and was 40 years old. It was one of three residential buildings designed by William M. Friedman & Associates Architects, Inc. Breiterman Jurado & Associates were the consulting engineers and Nattel Construction, Inc. were the general contractors.”
According to TechXplorer.com, “Professor Xinzheng Lu from the Department of Civil Engineering at Tsinghua University and a research team are reviewing possible theories as to why the building collapsed. Xinzheng and the team are also reconstructing the collapse of the building to better understand exactly what went wrong and when.”
TechXplorer continues the article saying, “Through this process, several analyses were reached, including:
1. The punching shear strengths of the key joints and the axial compressive strengths of the columns of the collapsed structure are low and unable to meet the requirements of the current design codes.
2. Typical slab-column joints have limited strength at the large deformation stage due to poor reinforcement detailing.
To sum it up, the builders did not meet certain codes, which led to devastating consequences.
The Surfside Condominium collapse is just one example. Construction defect cases are becoming more common than not these days, especially as builders are constantly under pressure to accelerate construction timelines. We have seen this with several builders (both national and private companies alike). To help keep builders in check, it is a good idea to hire your own independent inspector to look over every phase of construction. And of course, you will want a good legal team on your side as well.
Here at the The Voss Law Firm, P.C., we take construction defects very seriously. From the hardly noticeable to the outright disastrous, we stand by our clients until justice is served.
This is why it is very important to consult with a reputable policyholder attorney when filing a claim, and especially if your claim has been denied, delayed, or underpaid.
The Voss Law Firm, P.C. has been protecting policyholder’s rights for the past sixteen years, recovering billions of dollars in settlements for our clients.
Feel free to call, or email today for a free consultation on your file.
We are 100% contingency fee based. No recovery, no fee.
Ryan Kee - Client Relations Manager
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