Negligence, The Bases of Construction Defect Claims and Suits

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Negligence has the same definitions regardless of the state where it is alleged. It has been defined as: “a legal duty owed to the Plaintiff by the Defendant; a breach of that duty; an actual injury to the Plaintiff; and a showing that the breach was a proximate cause of the injury.”

“A breach of duty exists when it is foreseeable that one’s conduct may likely injure the person to whom the duty is owed.”

The California Supreme Court upheld a judgment for property damage caused by negligent residential construction in Sabella v. Wisler, 59 Cal.2d 21, 27-30 (1963). The defendant had built a house and offered it for sale to the general public. As it turned out, the defendant’s negligent preparation of the lot, in combination with a subcontractor’s careless plumbing work, later caused leaks, subsidence, and damage to the house. It was held that the builder was responsible for the ensuing damage.