Common causes of construction accidents

May 28 2020      On Behalf of  David M. Duree & Associates, P.C.      Construction And Engineering Disputes

One errant piece in a construction project can lead to enormous extra costs. When someone doesn’t meet the terms they agreed to, it doesn’t have to be you that pays the price.

Private construction in the U.S. is worth over $1 trillion every month. Contracts are essential with that kind of money, and every crew adding to that total needs to live up to their agreement. It doesn’t matter if you’re building a house or renovating a business, it’s crucial to know when someone is straying outside the lines.

Breach of contract

The process begins when you can show the standards are met for a breach:

• There’s a valid agreement between you and the offending party
• You kept up your end of the bargain
• The other party didn’t live up to their side of the deal
• You suffered damages because they came up short

When it happens

The details common in construction contracts may differ greatly, but the broader strokes can help point to broken pacts:

• Delays: Your contract likely had a window for completion. Your project might have a lot of parts that need to fit together, and you could encounter high costs when someone doesn’t have their job done on time.
• Defects: There are extensive rules and regulations regarding safety and quality for building. Contractors need to meet those expectations because you could be looking at serious consequences otherwise.
• Costs: Even with large budget construction projects, contributors could be liable if they go beyond a reasonable scope. Costs can quickly balloon when a contractor oversees flawed designs, inaccurate quotes and poor site management.

Proving a breach of contract likely starts with recognizing the symptoms. When a project has gone off the rails and you’re stuck holding the inflated bills, you may have some recourse against those that made it happen.