Connecticut Supreme Court Asked To Define The Word 'Collapse' Regarding Crumbling Foundations

HARTFORD, CT —Whether homeowners’ insurance policies should cover repairs to thousands of homes with crumbling foundations caused by defective concrete was the subject of three separate lawsuits heard Tuesday by the Connecticut Supreme Court.

An estimated 35,000 or more homes and condominiums in eastern and central Connecticut, as well as some public buildings, could have failing foundations because of a mineral called pyrrhotite that causes concrete to crack and crumble.

Insurance companies have not been covering the claims filed by homeowners, citing a change in policy that only requires them to cover a “sudden or abrupt collapse.” Whereas the condition involving the crumbling foundations happens over a number of years. According to the insurance companies, this means it doesn’t qualify as a sudden collapse.

Lawyers for homeowners argue that a 1987 Connecticut Supreme Court ruling said “collapse” also can mean impairment in structural integrity.

Read more: https://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/20181218_connecticut_supreme_court_asked_to_define_the_word_collapse/