Claim arising from the failed underpinning of a family home

We were instructed in relation to a dispute with the structural engineers responsible for the collapse of inadequately designed underpinning during the construction of two large basement extensions to the building.

The failure resulted in serious structural damage to the building, necessitated a much more complicated and expensive methodology to complete the construction, and caused significant consequential losses arising from serious delay to the project.

The engineers’ insurers accepted primary liability and the engineers carried out the design of the remedial works and procured the implementation of works to complete the construction of the basements.  However, the knock on consequences for the rest of the build and consequential losses became the subject of a factually complex dispute, and there was a potentially significant loss of value to the property given the basis on which the insurers had implemented the repair works (which left our client with no redress in the event of problems arising).

We negotiated appropriate documentation from the engineer and the contractors employed by them to give protection to our client and any first purchaser of the property, thus substantially negating any loss of value to the property.
The remaining issues were resolved by negotiated at an early stage of proceedings on favourable terms for the client.