Landslide and Land Subsidence Evaluation and Repair
Most people do not know that even the most seemingly minor change in land may have significant consequential effects such as a change in grading, the installation of irrigation, the failure of a retaining wall, etc.
You need only take a walk through our beautiful valleys or upon the golden hills here in California to know that land moves: Mountains rise and erode, rocks fall, streams overflow and wash land away, and hillsides fail and slide. The law generally refers to such events as “Acts of God” giving insurance companies a pass on paying for the resulting damages. Most people do not know that even the most seemingly minor change in land may have significant consequential effects such as a change in grading, the installation of irrigation, the failure of a retaining wall, changing the flow of a creek, neglecting to replace a rusted culvert, even removing a tree could result in earth movement.
But not all earth movement is caused by an “Act of God”, and where such movement is cause by the act or omission of a person, liability for any resulting damages may follow.
Such earth movement could occur instantaneously or slowly progress over many years. And where that movement results in damage, we help our clients understand and evaluate the cause and effect of the damage, whether they caused the damage, or suffered the damage themselves.
We then work with the clients and our experts to understand the cause of the movement, what if any continuing risk the movement poses, how best prevent further movement, and where damage has occurred, how to repair those damages, and, where appropriate, to collect the cost of the damages from the person or persons responsible for them.