Cast Iron Pipes Lawsuit in Alpharetta

The wrong lawyer can sink your case. That's one of the biggest reasons why the founder of Morgan & Morgan went into practicing law in the first place. His own struggle came from working with the wrong lawyer and cost his family big when his brother was injured on the job. That single experience made him vow to be a lawyer for the people and fight big companies and big insurance companies for what is right for his clients. Here are the qualities he’s learned exceptional lawyers possess.

Outstanding communication skills

Suppose you're having trouble understanding what a lawyer is trying to tell you during the hiring process. How will this lawyer be able to argue your case effectively? Outstanding communication skills are critical when it comes to any kind of litigation. And, just like how they need to be able to communicate with a layperson such as yourself, they will likely have to communicate with a jury full of laypersons.

A lawyer needs to be articulate, persuasive, and a good listener. Good listening skills will be imperative when they have to analyze a conversation, testimony, or witness statement. 

Research and analytical skills 

A considerable part of a lawyer's job is to be able to study and absorb information swiftly and on the fly, especially in the courtroom. They should be able to pivot quickly should the defendant's lawyer come up with an unexpected argument. While some cases take longer and thus allow your lawyer more time to digest all of the information pertaining to your case, some cases move fast. Your lawyer needs to have the ability to research and absorb lots of information efficiently to build a stronger case for you.

Strong analytical skills will enable your lawyer to evaluate different possible conclusions and make adjustments to their arguments to make sure the best possible conclusion is made in your case. 

Ethics

With so many lawyers practicing law, it's a reasonable conclusion to assume not all are operating under the constraints of good ethics and morals. Some cases may make you question your own ethics, so hiring a lawyer whose beliefs align with your own is helpful. Working with a lawyer whose values are similar to yours will make it easier for both of you. Working with a dishonest lawyer can have severe repercussions. 

Lawyers are not allowed to lie to judges, courts, clients, and third parties. However, that doesn't preclude them from using some trickery, but there is undoubtedly a fine line. When in doubt, trust your gut when it comes to matters of ethics.

Empathy  

Working with a lawyer that is empathetic is essential for a good client-attorney relationship. Look for signs that they are interested in your individual case, not just winning for the sake of winning. Part of a lawyer's job is to look at facts and evidence through an impartial lens. The reason being is when they look at your case from that angle, they can see potential flaws in the solidness of your case and address them before the case gets picked apart by the defense. 

However, they have to counter impartiality with empathy to ensure that the people involved feel like they are being represented by someone who has an emotional investment in the case, too. If you, as a client, feel like your emotional needs can't be met with a lawyer, give them a pass and move on to the next.

Determination

When it comes to working with a lawyer, you want to be assured that when things get tough, they'll keep going. Commitment is critical, particularly if your case should need to go to trial. Surprisingly, many lawyers shy away from the courtroom because it's easier to settle out of court. But sometimes, taking a case to trial is the best option if the defendant or their insurance company refuses to play ball. Conversely, some types of claims are settled out of court routinely, and the courts expect that every avenue of negotiations has been exhausted prior to going to trial. Should you need a trial-ready lawyer, Morgan & Morgan has over 1,000 of them.

People skills

Have you heard the old adage, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar?" Well, that saying makes a lot of sense when you're talking about your lawyer's people skills. If your lawyer is rude, presumptive, or dismissive, this can be a genuine turn-off, especially for a jury. While a jury isn't supposed to judge a lawyer's personality, it's hard to disregard distaste for an individual. At the end of the day, lawyers have to communicate with a lot of different parties when it comes to handling your claim or lawsuit. Outstanding people skills are a quality that can go a long way towards a favorable outcome.

Vision

Some of the best lawyers have an outstanding sense of vision and creativity when it comes to their cases. Thinking outside of the box is necessary many times, and using a lawyer that lacks problem-solving skills will be detrimental for your case. Lawyers need to use creativity when it comes to presenting strong arguments and supplying case law to back it up.

While many people hesitate to reach out to a lawyer because of money concerns, many lawyers will take your case based on a contingency fee arrangement. A contingency fee arrangement means the lawyer gets paid a percentage of the compensation you're awarded. This works out well since the lawyer doesn't collect unless your case is settled or won. However, this typically depends on the type of claim or lawsuit you have. Personal injury lawyers almost always work on a contingency fee basis. Furthermore, contingency fee arrangements provide your lawyer with an incentive to make sure you get the highest amount possible for your claim. 

The downside is that you need to have a valid claim. Lawyers will evaluate all the evidence and circumstances of your case so they can judge if they think you have a good shot at gaining compensation. If they don't think you have a strong case, likely they won't take you on as a client. However, it never hurts to check. A clever lawyer may be able to see something you don't or be aware of case law that can help.

An excellent lawyer will first listen to the details of your case. That's the first step. It's unlikely to expect them to come up with answers right away. Instead, they will take the time to pour over documentation, absorb, and analyze. Then, you should expect them to present you with options concerning your legal matter and discuss strategy. They should also provide a timeline for important events. However, an accurate timeline can be a moving target because it all depends on the pleasure of the courts and also other parties involved. 

As outlined previously, you should expect prompt responses to your phone calls and emails. While a busy trial lawyer may not have much free time, their staff should be able to keep you abreast on anything concerning your case. That's an important reason to hire a lawyer with a strong support system and sizable legal staff. You don't want to be left waiting with questions unanswered because you chose to hire a lawyer working at a small law firm. 

Hopefully, we've helped you with understanding the hiring process for lawyers. Now we'll talk a bit about why a Morgan & Morgan attorney would be the best fit for your legal matter. 

Our track record speaks for itself: We get that a lot of lawyers talk about their successes, but there really isn't a comparison when you consider our law firm has been around for over 30 years. During that time we've recovered billions for our clients. Because we have so many successful cases, we've grown to be one of the largest law firms in the US, with over 1,000 attorneys and thousands of support staff.

One thing that is a by-product of success is notoriety, especially with insurance companies. While they respect us, they also understand we don't mess around to make sure our clients get the best possible compensation. Insurance companies know we won't hesitate to take our clients' cases to court. When that happens, they have a good chance of losing because we don't take cases that lack merit. With that understanding, insurance companies frequently come back with settlement offers that are actually fair, making the process much smoother and quicker than, say, a smaller, unknown law firm.

We are family-owned and always will be: As stated earlier, one of the reasons John Morgan became a lawyer is because his own brother was paralyzed from an accident on the job at Disney World. His family's lawyer wasn't up to snuff, and the family suffered. John vowed to be a lawyer who fights against powerful corporations representing everyday people just like yourself. And what progress he has made! Now, our law firm includes John's wife and their three sons amongst the hundreds of other successful attorneys we have. 

When you're ready to hire a lawyer, remember there is only one Morgan & Morgan, and we'd be proud to help you with your legal matter. Contact us today for a free, confidential case evaluation. Everybody needs a helping hand from time to time, and we're here to make a difference.

As mentioned, many homes built prior to 1975 had cast iron pipe plumbing systems. Contractors used to claim that cast iron pipes would last decades before they began to break down. However, a significant number of homeowners have found out the hard way that these claims were untrue.

Today’s homes predominantly use plastic materials such as PEX and PVC for plumbing fixtures. PEX and PVC are much more resilient and are less likely to require serious repairs, even when they’re decades old.

Individuals who live in older homes with aging cast iron pipe systems often need help replacing lines in their plumbing systems, especially when signs of damage and deterioration begin to appear.

While you’d expect your homeowner’s policy to cover the repairs of your cast iron pipes, many providers deny their homeowner’s claims. Usually, they’ll argue that the damage has resulted from gradual wear and tear and that the homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover the damage.

Unfortunately, the cost of repairing plumbing systems out of pocket is often exorbitant. Homeowners might pay tens of thousands of dollars to repair pipes and joints, despite having active insurance policies.

The situation can become much more difficult if the homeowner doesn’t have the money needed to make repairs. In the worst-case scenario, the house may even become uninhabitable.

Insurance companies use various excuses to deny claims related to aging cast iron pipes, such as natural wear and inadequate maintenance. They may also try to find other clauses that exempt your claim from coverage, like failure to file within a reasonable timeframe.

If your insurer denies your claim, you have the option of filing a cast iron pipes lawsuit in Alpharetta with Morgan and Morgan. Our attorneys can negotiate with your insurance provider to obtain the money you need to repair your home’s plumbing system. If they refuse to offer an adequate settlement sum, we have no problem taking them to court.

With that being said, time is of the essence when filing your claim. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that the damage to your home will worsen. Furthermore, it may become more challenging to obtain a fair settlement.

For these reasons, it’s best to seek legal advice immediately following a claim denial from the company that handles your homeowner’s insurance.

It’s a good idea to inspect your plumbing system and surrounding areas for signs of deterioration regularly and seek repairs when needed. If you fail to make improvements in a timely fashion, small issues can easily escalate to major damage. If you’re planning on selling your home, you may find that it doesn’t pass an inspection, making it difficult to market it without significant investment.

Plumbing damage can also cause illness to a home’s inhabitants if not addressed promptly. Depending on the nature of the issue, you may find that your house attracts more rodents or pests.

A few of the most common signs of damage to your cast iron plumbing system include:

• Bad smells from kitchen or bathroom drains
• Slow or inconsistent drainage
• Frequently clogged drains
• Warped or uneven flooring
• Discolored floor mats or rugs
• Moisture stains on the walls, floors, or ceilings
• An increase in pests, including roaches, ants, and mice
• Mold growth

If you happen to notice any of these signs, contact your homeowner’s insurance provider immediately and schedule the necessary repairs.

There are many reasons why cast iron pipes fail, but most relate to corrosion.

Corrosion is dangerous since it can impact the safety of your drinking water supply and cause further deterioration to pipes in other locations. Sometimes, corrosion can even lead to burst pipes, which can cause significant damage to your home and belongings if not caught quickly.

Corrosion also produces foul-smelling drains and water. No one wants to shower or brush their teeth with water tainted with rust and other elements of a decaying cast iron pipe.

Other common reasons for cast iron pipe failures include:

• Naturally damp soil surrounding the pipes, which can produce corrosion over time
• Failure to install lines correctly
• Flushing acidic chemicals from household cleaning supplies down the drain
• Construction around your house or in nearby areas
• Significant levels of pesticides in the soil

A plumber will be able to diagnose the cause of your leaky cast iron pipes and formulate an appropriate plan for repairs.

Repairing deteriorating cast iron pipes only gets more costly as time goes on. Failure to address problems over the long term could potentially lead to tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

Get help as soon as you start to notice signs that you have a plumbing issue. The earlier you catch the problem, the smaller your repair bill will be. You’ll also reduce the chances that you’ll end up needing a complete plumbing system replacement.

A minor structural issue may only cost a few hundred dollars to fix. Total replacement of your plumbing system, however, can cost upwards of $50,000 or more. If plumbing complications have caused additional damage to your home, like warped flooring or damaged walls, the bill can easily shoot up to $100,000. If conditions are especially dire, your entire home may even be a total loss.

If you’ve been making regular mortgage payments on your home for years, finding out that it’s a lost cause can be devastating. No one should have to discover that all the money they’ve put toward paying off their home has essentially been wasted.

When your insurance provider finds out that you need an entirely new plumbing system, they’re likely to try to blame you for the issue. Most insurers don’t want to pay tens of thousands of dollars toward home repairs, valid and necessary though they may be, as it threatens to eat into their profits.

Some of the most common excuses a home insurance provider may come up with for denying a claim related to leaky pipes include:

• Claiming that the damage was pre-existing
• Pointing out that your policy doesn’t specifically include water damage
• Arguing that you failed to get regular maintenance on your plumbing system
• Classifying unforeseeable damage as ordinary wear and tear

If your insurance company denies your claim unfairly, hiring an attorney to file a cast iron pipes lawsuit in Alpharetta may be wise.

First of all, try to stay calm. You might be facing thousands of dollars in potential expenses, but remember that the claim denial could be illegitimate. Many insurance providers try to deny claims when they can, expecting their customers to step up and shoulder the bill.

But you pay for insurance coverage for incidents just like this. The burden shouldn’t be yours to carry, especially if you take good care of your home. 

That’s why it’s a good idea to seek the advice of a qualified attorney.

If you have a valid claim, your lawyer will pursue a cast iron pipes lawsuit in Alpharetta on your behalf. Most lawyers don’t charge for their services unless or until they win a settlement or court verdict for you. In other words, if they fail to win your case, you won’t owe them a penny.

The time it takes to replace a cast iron plumbing system can vary depending on the size of your home and the complexity of your system. Homes with multiple stories or large numbers of bathrooms and other water outlets may take longer to restore. The accessibility of your piping system is another factor that can slow the progress of such a project.

Unless the pipe has caused damage to your home, it’s not advisable to contact your insurance agency. You won’t have a valid claim to present, and you’ll be alerting them to potential problems that may or may not arise in the future, giving them a chance to come up with excuses to avoid paying for them.

If you experience an issue with the same pipe in the future and it ends up causing damage to your house, your insurer may try to argue that you’re at fault for the damage since you knew there was a previous issue.

If you’re concerned about communicating a plumbing issue to your insurance company, it can help to seek legal assistance. An attorney at Morgan & Morgan can help you determine the best course of action.

Most insurance providers limit the time homeowners have to file a claim in their policy details. You’ll need to review your policy to determine your timeline for filing a claim.

Generally, it’s best to start a claim as soon as you discover signs of damage. Waiting too long may cause you to lose your right to repairs and incur unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses.

Morgan and Morgan is the nation’s largest personal injury law firm. We’ve helped thousands of clients obtain the compensation they needed to repair damage to their homes from stingy insurance providers. We look forward to doing the same for you.

Don’t risk letting aging cast iron pipes devalue your home or belongings. Contact us today to schedule your free case review.