What happens when a car hits your property? Image courtesy pixabay.com
A few days ago, I was driving through a neighborhood and I saw a car that had jumped a curb and careened in to a home, knocking out a front window and wall. It’s the kind of vehicle accident that could happen to anyone; cars are big, heavy and easy to lose control of. It reminded me of one of Helfrich-Associates’ current projects. So, what happens when a car hits your property?
Our team was recently called by an insurance company and asked to determine how to temporarily support a building after a vehicle had crashed in to it.
What happens when a car hits your property?
In this case, when the car is removed from the building, it will require temporary shoring for support. Once the building is secured a team will perform a structural repair.
As a part of the stabilization and repair work, we evaluate whether or not the building construction satisfies the current building codes. Our team then works to research how to repair the structure so that the damaged portion, or all of the structure, satisfies building code. Helfrich-Associates will also work with the building department to design the repairs so that the building meets all applicable code requirements.
In general, there is usually some wriggle room on the code requirements for repairing building damage. If damage to the building is less than 10 percent, the building code usually allows for direct replacement of the damaged portion of the building. If the building is 10 to 50 percent damaged, our team will usually need to repair the damaged portion of the building to the current building code. If the damage is greater than 50 percent, a team will usually need to reconstruct most, if not all, of the building to the current code. This includes electrical, mechanical, energy, and plumbing, which must be completed to current code.
Have you ever dealt with vehicle damage to your home or business? Let us know in the comments.
If you are currently experiencing damage to your property from a vehicle, contact us to see how we can help you through what happens when a car hits your property.