This may sound a bit dramatic, but if one of the concrete slabs at your Utah home or business property is cracked or uneven, contacting a local concrete repair company for mudjacking service can keep you being sued.
Damaged slabs are more than just eyesores – they’re trip hazards. And under the legal concept of premises liability, you could be held accountable for injuries that result from the unsafe condition of your property. Here’s a look at what could happen if your broken concrete causes an accident and how mudjacking can save you from a personal injury lawsuit.
What Is Premises Liability?
As the owner of a residential or commercial property in Utah, you have a legal responsibility to protect the safety of those who visit. Everyone who is welcome at your home or business has the right to assume that you have taken reasonable care to ensure the property is safe.
When someone slips and falls or suffers any injuries as a result of unsafe property conditions, the owner of the property could be liable. In such a situation, Utah’s premises liability law allows injured individuals to file a claim or take the matter to court.
Whether you have crumbling steps, a sunken sidewalk, cracks in the driveway, an uneven garage floor or another settled slab, resolving the problem should be a priority. If you hold off on concrete repair and someone gets hurt, you may end up paying the price.
What if an Accident Happens on Your Utah Property?
Let’s say that you decide to postpone concrete repair. If the mailman, one of the neighbors or another visitor falls or suffers an injury when walking on your damaged slab, what does that mean for you?
Well, if you didn’t know about the trip hazard or unsafe condition, you may be in the clear in terms of premises liability — the Utah courts are unlikely to hold you accountable for an undiscovered or unknown problem. However, if the injured individual can prove that you were aware of the slab damage and chose not to get concrete repair, they can recover damages through a premises liability claim or personal injury lawsuit.
As for what you might be held liable for, that would include the injured party’s medical bills and any lost wages incurred as a result of the accident. Depending on the severity of their injuries, the individual may also pursue compensation for pain and suffering, future medical care, loss of future wages and other damages.
Think your insurance will help if you end up in court? Most policies require routine property maintenance and regular inspections for potential hazards, so that’s not probably. And in the event your insurance provider does pay out, the claim will go into C.L.U.E., Utah’s comprehensive loss underwriting exchange database – and that could make it more difficult for you to get insurance coverage in the future.
Mudjacking Is the Preferred Concrete Repair Method
For property owners in need of concrete repair, mudjacking – otherwise known as slabjacking or concrete lifting – offers an ideal solution. The process of mudjacking involves just three steps:
- Several strategically placed holes, about two inches in diameter, are drilled through the damaged slab.
- A cement-based slurry mixture is hydraulically pumped through the holes, and pressure lifts the slab to an even and stable position.
- The holes and cracks are sealed to prevent water infiltration and future slab settlement.
Why not simply replace a damaged slab? In comparison to a slab tear-out and replacement project, mudjacking is:
- Faster and easier – Tearing out and replacing a damaged slab can take weeks when you factor in the curing time. Most mudjacking projects take just an hour or two to complete, and when the work is done, the concrete doesn’t need time to cure.
- More effective – The mudjacking method of concrete repair restores soil stability, as the voids under a settled slab are filled with the slurry mixture. With a slab replacement, nothing is done to resolve soil instability, and that’s the cause of most concrete damage.
- Less destructive – Mudjacking is a clean process, and once the concrete repair work is finished, there’s very little evidence left behind. And with mudjacking, there’s no mess to clean and no damage to the landscape. With slab replacement, that’s often not the case.
What’s more, mudjacking costs much less than removing and replacing a damaged slab. Going the latter route could run you two or even three times as much – and why would you want to pay more for a less practical concrete repair?
Don’t Risk a Costly Lawsuit – Schedule Concrete Repair Toda
At Lift-Up Concrete, a leading Utah concrete repair company, we offer free, no-obligation mudjacking consultations to property owners in Salt Lake City, Ogden and the surrounding areas. If you have a damaged slab and want an estimate for mudjacking service, contact us today!
