We recently had an opportunity to try a case to a very successful conclusion before a jury in the Circuit Court for Carroll County for clients who deserved the great result they received.
Back in 2012, our clients hired a contractor to install a significant addition to their older home. The work required the removal of the old roof and the installation of a new one. After the old roof had been removed and before the new one fully installed, the contractor attempted to protect the home by means of a tarp. In a significant thunderstorm, the tarp blew off and water gushed into their home. The contractor reinstalled the tarp, but unbelievably 11 days later there was another storm, the tarp came off again, and water poured into the home yet again. The new roof should have been installed earlier, or the contractor should have better protected the home against the water infiltration.
Their home had water damage throughout. Floors, ceilings, cabinets and walls were all affected. They were forced to leave their home, with children and pets, to find other lodging while work on the home was undertaken. The contractor attempted to remediate the harm which resulted from the substantial amount of water and moisture damage to the home. While the contractor claimed that all damage had been adequately repaired, our clients upon their return felt strongly otherwise. They were dismayed to learn that the damage was not properly repaired and their home had not been restored to its prior condition.
They retained a law firm in Carroll County to pursue a claim against the contractor, and the case was pending in court for over a year. However, less than four months before trial, the law firm decided to stop handling it, and the homeowners were forced to retain new counsel at the last minute. We joined with one of the finest trial attorneys in Baltimore County, Irwin Weiss, to take on this case. It was vigorously defended by the contractor and its insurance company, who hired experts at substantial cost and contested every element in the case. There was a five day jury trial in the Circuit Court for Carroll County. We were forced to call five different experts to testify for our clients, including a contractor, public adjuster, roof engineer, mold expert, and mold remediation contractor.
Ultimately, our clients were vindicated. The jury awarded $310,000 to them as compensation for the water and mold damage suffered by their home, their expenses incurred in relocating, damage to their personal property, etc. That amount was much, much higher than had been offered by the contractor and its insurance company before trial. When that sum is recovered, our clients will be able to finally, at long last, restore their home to its proper condition. It was a very gratifying result. Our clients had suffered substantial damage to their most prized possession, their home, which for years had not been adequately fixed. We were so grateful that at long last they would be provided with the resources with which to properly repair it. As their attorneys, we were quite pleased to achieve this wonderful result for clients who were so deserving.
For more information, call our Towson litigation lawyers at Huesman, Jones & Miles at 443-589-0150 or contact us online.