Land Erosion and Flooding Claims
If your home or property has been affected by soil erosion or flooding, the property damage litigation experts at Wellers may be able to help you make a claim for compensation.
If your property has suffered damage, your first step in seeking redress should be through your insurer. If you are unhappy about the way in which your insurer settled your claim for property damage you should make a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman service to see if they can assist you. They will investigate your complaint and if they feel you have been treated unfairly, they will expect your insurer to put things right.
Damage caused by man-made soil erosion or pollution
When your property is damaged as a result of man-made factors you may be able to claim damages from those with strict liability under the law of ‘nuisance’, which deals with the unlawful interference of use or enjoyment of land. Such property damage and land erosion claims are likely to be complex and there are several factors that will be considered by the court.
Man-made land and soil erosion, and pollution, may be the result of water leaks, seepage and soil degradation caused by a number of factors, including:
- Farming and agriculture
- Lack of maintenance of sewage pipes and drainage
- Waste water networks of factories, industrial plants and other commercial enterprises
- Tree removal during building works
- Mining and other commercial activities
Man-made soil erosion and pollution may cause, amongst other things, subsidence, ground movement which causes collapse, heave, landslip and settlement.
Natural land erosion
Seaside and riverside properties suffer an inherent, natural risk of soil erosion and with continued extreme weather patterns causing increased flooding events, more and more houses and properties are at risk. When buying land or property, your surveyor or property solicitor should identify flood risks and make you aware during the conveyancing process.
Local searches should reveal known risks to the land, whether there are flood defence plans in place, and the full insurance position in respect of the risks identified. If appropriate searches were not carried out, or if you were not informed of results which indicated a risk of flooding or insurance exclusions, you may have a claim against your conveyancer for professional negligence.
Read more on our page about land erosion risk and your home.
Flooding and water ingress claims
Water damage and flooding issues are governed by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 which places a legal responsibility on a number of agencies to manage flood risk.
Aside from an insurance claim, it may be possible to seek compensation from the authority responsible for managing the specific flood and water damage risk relating to your claim if they have failed to uphold their responsibilities under the Act.
Wellers’ expert flood claim solicitor, Jonathan Tyler, has significant experience in this area and he has cultivated relationships with hydrologists and other experts, as well as specialist counsel, to ensure Wellers can provide a comprehensive legal team that can deliver high levels of service for each claim.
Read more about this subject on our dedicated page: Flood Risks, the Law and Flood Claim Solicitors.
Wellers Law Group – Property damage litigation experts at your side
Property damage claims are complex and require expert legal knowledge and an experienced team for success. If our property damage solicitors feel you have a claim, we will explain the legal options open to you and the likely outcomes, as well as our fees and terms.
You can contact Jonathan Tyler by email at jonathan.tyler@wellerslawgroup.com or call our Sevenoaks office on 01732 457 575 to speak to our team about your circumstances.