Category Archives: ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Homeowner Claims City-hired Government Contractor Damaged Plumbing While Replacing Sidewalks

Plumbing work is not easy, but what if the city-hired contractor damages your house’s plumbing? Well, this guide is going to share the steps you can take if you have any damages.

If you are a homeowner in a planned community building with HOA (homeowner’s association), you may claim any damages of any kind of a home mess. But when any outside plumbers or government-hired plumber damages your plumbing, they are responsible for it. Also, they are bound to repair what you need.

Common Types of Defects

Before claiming any damages, you need to know the system categorizes construction damages. Generally, the defects come in three classifications –

– Construction Deficiencies

– Design Deficiencies

– Material Deficiencies

1. Construction Deficiencies

Constructional defects happen due to unprofessional workmanship. For instance, when your plumber mistakes and results in water infiltrating. At the same time, other construction deficiencies are deep foundational crack, rotting wood, pest infestation, etc.

2. Design Deficiencies

Sometimes, the engineers do not work properly, which causes design deficiencies. It is a concern of the construction company. If the design is not proper, then it can lead to poor drainage, leaks, or other issues.

3. Material Deficiencies

One of the material deficiencies involves a company flashing the window, which cannot prevent water leaks.

Once you know the types of damages, then it would be effortless for you to ask for the damages fee. But before asking for a damages fee or repair, you need to consider a few things. So let’s discuss them in detail.

1. The Contractor Must Be Insured

Before claiming any damages, ensure the contractor has insurance. That’s because when the contractors have insurance, they are usually required to have liability insurance.

So, before your home improvement project, you need to confirm that the contractor has liability insurance. Otherwise, it would be difficult to claim the damage to your home.

2. What If the Insurance Company does not carry insurance?

If the government insurance company does not carry the liability of insurance, it means they are not willing to pay the damage bill. So you can file a lawsuit against them. But remember, the processing could be a month to several months.

How Do You Find a Construction Defect Lawyer?

If the contractor does not take responsibility, you need to hire a professional lawyer to fight back in court for your damages. But you need to consider a few things before hiring a lawyer.

1. Experience

An experienced lawyer knows exactly how to get the damages charge. Thus, you have to find an experienced lawyer. Generally, nowadays, lawyers earn a law degree that makes them capable of handling less complicated cases. But you would need a professional attorney who actually works for the construction company’s insurer.

Remember, experience matters when it comes to arguing the case against any government contractor.

2. Responsive Communicator

The lawyer you are going to hire makes sure he responds to your questions politely, plus it also makes concern for him. Having damaged plumbing is not pleasant, and it costs much to repair it.

Therefore, you have to discuss your damage charge with your lawyer several times to get back your damage charge. And if he is not responsive, then it would be a frustrating thing for you. Therefore, always look for a responsive communicator.

3. Practice Area of Expertise

Generally, construction defect lawyers are highly specialized in legal niches. However, you may want to work with an attorney who specializes in handling any kind of construction damages. Hence, get an expert with lots of practice in this field.

4. Positive Client Feedback

Find a lawyer who establishes positive client feedback. You can Google it to find out the reviews of the attorney. Or either you can ask someone else to know about the client feedback.

Once you discuss everything in detail with the lawyer, its’ time to hire him to file a case against a city-hired contractor; take action as soon as possible because you have already spent lots of money to repair your plumbing.

Final Thought

Last but not least, while doing the plumbing work at your home, ensure the plumber you hire to do it professionally so that there is little to no chance of damage. Yet accidents could happen at any time, so be careful while others work outside your house.

HOW ROAD CONSTRUCTION & POTHOLES CAN AFFECT YOUR CAR

Imagine driving across the lovely countryside enjoying the breeze when you feel your car shake and leap. You hear the familiar clang of metal hitting the pavement. That’s when you know you just struck a massive pothole.

But how hazardous is striking a pothole for our cars? How much damage can one pothole cause to your vehicle, and what are the most vulnerable components of your automobile when you strike a pothole or drive on a damaged road? Why are road constructions and potholes hazardous for your vehicle? Let’s have a look.

Poorly Constructed Roads

A vehicle’s vulnerability to damage is increased while driving on roads that have been left uneven and occasionally hazardous during construction. Make sure your tires are in good condition if you plan on driving through construction zones.

In the event of a collision with machinery or other debris, a gradual leak or weak, worn tire might swiftly turn into a blowout. In addition, a tire blowout might leave you stuck in a dangerous location or perhaps cause an accident.

It’s also a good idea to double-check your tire suspension before you leave the house. Tires that don’t line up properly can throw your car’s balance and suspension out of whack at the slightest bump on the road. A lack of tire grip makes it more difficult for your vehicle to control and, more critically, stop.

Potholes

To describe any dip in the road surface where transportation has removed broken bits of road, the word “pothole” is appropriate. Potholes can appear at any time. Potholes may cause tire damage, fluid leaks, bent rims (particularly if your car is modern and aluminum-based), and even damage your exhaust system, depending on how fast and hard you strike it. If odd noises coming from your exhaust, you should have it checked out immediately.

What damage can Potholes and Road Construction do to your car?

1. Wheel Damaging and Tire Blowouts

In the most severe pothole encounters, you may notice tire blowouts or punctured wheels. It might cause a blowout and perhaps damage to the wheels. If you’re driving at a reasonable pace at the time of an accident, you may lose control of your vehicle and swerve into oncoming traffic.

2. Misalignment

If you have an unstable steering system, hitting a pothole hard will cause your automobile to lose its ability to straighten.

You may not manage the car as well as you normally would if the vehicle is misaligned due to the impact. As a result, your risk of being involved in an accident greatly increases.

3. Exhaust System Damages

Some potholes are deep enough to cause damage to your exhaust system, which can cause it to scrape or even crash into the ground. Damage to your engine is possible if it is severe enough. A malfunctioning exhaust system can potentially cause you and your passengers to become intoxicated by carbon monoxide.

4. Physical Impact on your Car:

If you strike a pothole hard enough, your car may sustain physical damage. It is the sound of your automobile making contact with the pavement or the ground underneath you.

If you’ve ever struck a pothole, you know that it may do a variety of physical damage to your vehicle. Cars with little clearance are the most often victims of these incidents. To begin with, if you hit a pothole, you may damage your fenders.

5. Chips and Dings

During road construction, tiny fragments of rock and debris are thrown into the air and picked up by other vehicles. It has cosmetic and functional consequences, including paint peeling and minor dents, but windshield dents are critical. Even if the fracture is little, it’s preferable to fix it as quickly as possible to prevent it from deepening and spreading.

6. Reduced Visibility

Several construction workers set up their work areas at a spot along the road when visibility is severely reduced. Construction may occur around curves in the road, behind huge trees, or in very busy areas at particular times of the day.

It will reduce visibility while heavy machinery, employees, and warning signs are positioned in certain areas. The risk of catastrophic traffic accidents near the building site rises rapidly as a result.