ABOUT THE CASE
Recently, Guardian’s construction defect experts were called in to consult on behalf of a national insurance carrier and its counsel. They were defending a roofing contractor in our nation’s southwest against claims by a condominium HOA. The association alleged that all 80 structures in the complex suffered cracked concrete roofing tiles. The cost of full roof replacement, including occupant accommodation, would have exceeded two million dollars.
ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION
While plaintiffs had performed manual roof inspections on 6 of the condominium units, Guardian’s expert questioned 1) whether the roofs chosen were truly representative, 2) whether the plaintiff’s experts had created damage while walking those roofs, and 3) whether the reported damages required repair or total replacement. Guardian’s expert recommended to the defense team that instead of physical, individual roof inspections, his team be empowered to conduct the investigation via unmanned aerial vehicle (drone.) Guardian’s Construction Defect Group was then able to clearly demonstrate the difference between expected damages based upon a not-so-random sample and actual damages based upon visual evidence and concrete data. In reality, while the defense team agreed there was some degree of culpability on the part of the contractor, the damages were in no way as severe nor as widespread as initially alleged by the HOA.
ABOUT THE RESOLUTION
Quantifying the precise number of concrete tiles affected and dramatically reducing both the time and cost of the claim investigation, Guardian’s construction defect expert equipped the defense team with both the high-resolution images and the hard math it needed to negotiate from a position of strength. Final settlement was for about 20% of the initial ask, and case costs were reduced by about 40% thanks to the use of drones.
ABOUT GUARDIAN GROUP, INC.
For over 30 years, Guardian has responded to the unique needs of insurance carriers and their counsel who must commonly defend their policy holders against construction defect claims. Diligence. Vigilance. Expedience. These are things that set Guardian’s construction claim investigations apart. And unlike most construction and engineering firms that sub out their drone work, Guardian Group, Inc. puts the drones into the hands of the recognized forensic experts. So you capture what’s truly needed. So you don’t waste time. So you achieve the best case outcomes. Kindly call on Guardian Group’s Construction Defect Group today.