When catastrophe strikes during a construction project, it often results in finger pointing, especially if the incident results in injury or loss of life. A developer will certainly want to know who was responsible for construction defects that caused the issues. Any construction project is a complex undertaking with many components and unpredictable factors. North Carolina developers rely on their contractors to keep a project moving forward safely.
The contractors and subcontractors on the Hard Rock Hotel project that recently collapsed in another state are now facing a lawsuit from the owner and developer of the project. Just over a year ago, the upper floors of the 18-story building collapsed, injuring over a dozen workers, killing three and leaving a precarious building shell in the middle of the neighborhood. The engineer, architect and 15 subcontractors must now defend themselves against what may be one of numerous legal claims.
What caused the collapse?
The developer claims the design of the building contained fatal flaws, and the contractor miscalculated the load the beams and supports could hold on each floor. The lawsuit also names the supplier of the steel beams and metal decking for providing materials that did not match the required support in the original plans. The developer also states that none of the other subcontractors noted the issues or reported concerns about the stability of the building in the weeks and days leading to the collapse.
North Carolina developers may hope never to be involved in such a tragedy. In addition to the loss of life, the aftermath of serious construction defects can be ruinous for developers, discrediting their reputation and costing untold amounts of money. Through legal channels, it may be possible to bring the truth to light to prevent negligent contractors from repeating such deadly mistakes.