Richard Gramlich Wins Construction Defect Verdict
Congrats to Richard Gramlich on winning a historic construction defect verdict last week. Richard, a partner with Carmichael & Powell, won a $654,750 award for his clients. The Ferro, et al. v. Pulte Homes/Del Webb litigation was a case in which four homeowners in the Anthem area went to trial for expansive soil damages to their homes.
Historically, construction defect claims by plaintiffs have been very hard to win in Arizona. In the last year, prominent construction defect defense firms like Righi Hernandez – have been piling up defense verdicts in Maricopa County. Even when the plaintiff has won an award, usually through arbitration, the average per house award has been less than 10k.
The award is also unique in that large CD verdicts are normally accompanied by evidence of fraud or a willful cover up by the contractor. According to an attorney that was familiar with the case – Richard won despite not having any “smoking gun” evidence. However, the verdict is not a surprise when you consider Richard’s track record, having already won the largest per/house award in Arizona history.