Construction, Cracks, and Home Insurance

[PLRX]

I've never been thru this situation, any experience from you guys is appreciated.

The city/state just finish a highway expansion behind my house. It used to be a four mile long 2-lane road, and now it's a 6 lane road. This expansion/road construction lasted 5 months, and all vibration from the heavy equipment damaged my home. It cracked the stucco on the exterior, cracked the garage's floor, and driveway.

There is one crack on the right that expands from the rear to the front (20 feet), then it goes thru the driveway. Another crack on the left in a half moon shape covers around 25 sq ft.

I put a claim thru my AAA insurance, the adjuster came over, and took pictures of all the damage.

What can I expect?

 

[deter]

how did you come to the conclusion that these cracks were caused by vibrations from road construction? how far, exactly, was the activity from your house

 

[tncatadjuster]

I seriously doubt it will be covered under your homeowners. If it is consider yourself lucky.

 

[PLRX]

how did you come to the conclusion that these cracks were caused by vibrations from road construction? how far, exactly, was the activity from your house

The road is behind my house. The road's shoulder is approx 10 feet from my back wall.

I seriously doubt it will be covered under your homeowners. If it is consider yourself lucky.

Great, let's hope luck pays me a visit.

 

[Zeke]

This stuff happens and it's real. You will most likely have to hire an engineer, preferably a soils engineer. Then you will likely have to hire an attorney. You would then pursue the contractor but the attorney will add in anyone and everyone. I think the main question to the ins co is how much of this expense will they pay pending settlement. You may have to sue them too. Now you might be able to sue the ins co in SCC to get the ball rolling.

First you're going to have to read every last word in your policy to see if you have any chance of a claim. If you have cheapo ins, don't expect much.

 

[Fixnfly]

Do your neighbors have the same problems also?
Around here, there is some seismic testing going on to find deposits of Marcellus shale gas and some property owners are experiencing damage from all the sound waves going through the ground. Of course nobody wants to accept responsibility for any damage, that costs money.

 

[TommyK]

File a claim with the State or Municipality (whoever owns the road). The contractor must indemnify the State/City from these types of claims. I do road construction for a living. The procedure here is the State or Municipality will send a letter to the contractor advising them of your claim and directing them to inform their insurance carrier and do an investigation. The letter they send to the contractor usually requires the contractor to advise the status of the claim in a specified time frame. If you have pictures which document the pre-construction condition you have a very good chance of recovering from the contractor's insurance company. It will be tough but not impossible without them.

If that goes nowhere then go to your homeowner's insurance and if you are covered they will go after the contractor's insurance carrier.

 

[PLRX]

Do your neighbors have the same problems also?
Around here, there is some seismic testing going on to find deposits of Marcellus shale gas and some property owners are experiencing damage from all the sound waves going through the ground. Of course nobody wants to accept responsibility for any damage, that costs money.

Yes they do, and as you walk along the same street all driveways have new cracks.

File a claim with the State or Municipality (whoever owns the road). The contractor must indemnify the State/City from these types of claims. I do road construction for a living. The procedure here is the State or Municipality will send a letter to the contractor advising them of your claim and directing them to inform their insurance carrier and do an investigation. The letter they send to the contractor usually requires the contractor to advise the status of the claim in a specified time frame. If you have pictures which document the pre-construction condition you have a very good chance of recovering from the contractor's insurance company. It will be tough but not impossible without them.

If that goes nowhere then go to your homeowner's insurance and if you are covered they will go after the contractor's insurance carrier.

This would be fun, I already had a beef with the city, and I involved Congress three years ago. They will live to see my face there again.