On May 19, 2020, two dams in Edenville, Michigan, failed. For residents in the area, the results were devastating. Property owners had their homes damaged in the heavy flooding that followed, suffering immeasurable losses. While money cannot replace the memories and sentimental value of your family home, it can help you rebuild and compensate you for the distress that you suffered when the dam failure impacted you and your family.
What Happened on May 19-20?
Heavy rains caused two dams that were almost 100 years old to fail. The result was a torrent of water that forced nearly 10,000 people to flee their homes for safety. Hundreds of families returned to find their beloved family homes severely damaged or washed away by the catastrophic flooding.
Billions of gallons of water formed a powerful surge that eventually put a town of 40,000 people under as much as nine feet of water. An estimated 2,500 properties were damaged, including local businesses. In the wake of the severe flooding, there are even fears of an environmental disaster since the rush of water passed through chemical plants and other hazardous waste sites. The result is a path of destruction that local residents will be dealing with for years to come.
Who Is Legally Responsible for the Dam Failure?
In the wake of the accident, everyone possibly responsible seems to be pointing the finger at each other. The dams were almost a century old and were poorly maintained. The dam owner is blaming the State of Michigan, while others have claimed that poor maintenance was to blame for the dam’s failure.
As a homeowner who has suffered damage, the fact that someone else is responsible means that they will need to pay you for your harm. One likely party to pay is the dam owner Boyce Hydro Power. The company has a poor safety record. In 2018, it was cited for failures to comply with federal environmental and safety rules. Bryce Hydro owns four dams in the area, including both of the ones that failed.
Filing a Dam Failure Lawsuit
Here, there are several legal grounds that could entitle you to financial compensation. They are:
- Negligence – The owner allegedly failed to properly maintain the dams and follow laws that would have kept you safe
- Nuisance – The escaping water interfered with your enjoyment of your own property
- Trespass – The rushing water encroached on your own property.
Some property owners are also filing lawsuits against the State of Michigan for their failure to properly regulate and the decisions that they made that led to the disaster. The bottom line is that someone else failed, and your home or business suffered damage.
Seek Help from Edenville Dam Failure Lawyers
Contact the injury attorneys at Ged Lawyers, LLP online or call us at (561) 995-1966 to schedule your free initial consultation. We can fight for you to get the financial compensation that you deserve to help you get your life started against after the devastating and sudden destruction that you endured.
