Contstruction Defects
As the pace of new residential and commercial building has exploded, instances of defective construction have also escalated to unprecedented levels. These problems have been well-documented in numerous probing news reports throughout the country.
A "perfect storm" of conditions has inspired this virtual epidemic of construction defects. Many subcontractors are untrained and poorly skilled. Large, national production builders rush the completion of entire neighborhoods, cutting corners along the way. They fail to oversee and adequately coordinate construction. Building products have become more complex and less forgiving, requiring greater attention in application. Government inspection departments are understaffed, overworked and underfunded.
The result is the wide-spread incidence of serious building code violations and shoddy workmanship. Houses leak, foundations crack, and building materials fail. The usual scenario is that general contractors, subcontractors and component manufacturers refuse to assume responsibility for these problems. If they do respond, they frequently propose "band-aid" repairs which are neither durable nor return the property to the quality for which the buyer bargained. So-called "warranties" provide little relief or protection. Homeowners are left with huge bills to remediate these deficiencies.
Jackson & McGee has successfully represented thousands of homeowners in their disputes with builders, subcontractors, manufacturers and other parties. For example, we have handled individual and class action lawsuits against manufacturers of defective products such as exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS), commonly known as synthetic stucco. We have represented the owners of commercial structures such as hotels and office buildings in their claims against general contractors. We are also experienced in representing condominium associations in construction defect cases.
As a result of our substantial experience in this area, we are often retained by lawyers in other states to assist them in the prosecution of defect claims. In addition to our extensive practice in North Carolina, we have worked on such cases in Kansas, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, California and New York. Examples of the types of cases we have handled and the results we have obtained are listed on both the Current Representative Cases and Representative Results pages.