Can you feel the effects of blasting while inside your business? Has your business sustained cracks in the walls, foundation, or roof? If you can feel the effects of blasting, then, over time, the blasts are strong enough to damage your building.
Quarries use powerful explosives to blast rock such as limestone from the earth, and those blasts send damaging vibrations through the ground and air which damage structures. Most business owners' insurance policies provide coverage for cracking damage caused by blasting.
If you believe your business may have been damaged as a result of blasting, then contact us for a free evaluation.
What if I’ve Already Been Denied?
Importantly, even if your insurance company has already denied your claim, let us review that denial for free. It never hurts to get a second opinion. If your insurance company is right, we will tell you. But, if they are wrong, we will let you know that, and what we can do to help.
Even though it may be challenging, don't be intimidated if you insurance company denied your claim. Even if your insurance company had your building inspected by an engineer who said the blasting did not cause your damage, let us review your case for free. Many times, we are able to use that same engineering report against the insurance company.
If there was only one thing we could get across to you it would be that “no” is not the end of the inquiry. It’s just the beginning. In fact, every case we’ve ever won all have one thing in common. They all started with “no.”
The best part is that there are no out of pocket expenses or costs to you. In most of our insurance cases, if we win, the insurance company must pay all of our attorneys’ fees and costs. If we lose, we will work for free.
What Happens At a Rock Quarry?
Quarry mining is a billion-dollar business in Florida, with quarries all over the state using explosives to extract tens of millions of tons of limestone annually. Large chunks of rock break off when the strategically placed explosives are detonated, and these large chunks are then crushed into smaller pieces for use in construction.
The Lake Belt region of Miami-Dade County is a particular hotbed for quarry mining. There are at least nine quarries with active blasting permits operating in the region, and even residents in nearby Broward county — where there are currently no active blasting permits — have complained about the mining operations in the Lake Belt region.
Rock quarries have operated in Florida for a long time, and some quarries now located close to homes and businesses may have existed long before the neighborhood was built. Today, there are homes and businesses located less than 1,000 feet from some quarries, and people say they can feel the blasts rattling their businesses and see the damage in their walls and foundations.
Is Rock Quarry Blasting Damaging My Business?
In Florida, blasting limits are set by the Division of State Fire Marshal, which has the ability to impose penalties if blasting exceeds the legal limit. To ensure compliance, all quarries are monitored by a seismograph — an instrument that measures ground movement — and a seismologist, according to the State Fire Marshal.
The State Fire Marshal and all quarry companies claim Florida’s blasting limits are well below any level that could cause structural damage to nearby homes and businesses. The SFM even commissioned a study of six Florida quarries in February 2018 to determine if the state’s blasting limits were too high.
The report concluded that blasting vibrations were “outside of any range that could damage or settle residential structures, regardless of frequency content,” and that the state’s current blasting limits are “appropriate to protect residential structures.” But, that report does not tell the whole story.It fails to take into account the cumulative effect of repeated blasts over time.
No matter what, do not be intimidated by anyone who says that the blasting is not causing the damage. Let our team of professionals review your case, so we can determine what is really causing the damage.
Is Quarry Blasting Damage Covered by My Insurance Provider?
We are currently investigating claims from any business owner in Florida who owns their property, has an insurance policy, has cracking damage, and can feel the effects of blasting at their business. Many complaints of quarry blasting damage have emanated from South Florida, including many from people living near the following quarries in the following zip codes:
Miami Quarry:
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33172
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33178
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33182
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33192
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33194
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33126
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33165
-
33174
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33175
-
33184
-
33199
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33222
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33265
-
33283
2 FEC Quarry:
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33018
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33178
-
33016
Krome Quarry:
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33193
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33196
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33183
-
33185
-
33186
Pennsuco Quarry:
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33016
-
33018
-
33178
-
33012
-
33014
-
33194
-
33195
White Rock Quarry:
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33018
-
33015
-
33016
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33027
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33029
-
33178
Lake 6 Quarry:
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33016
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33018
-
33178
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33002
-
33012
-
33014
-
33015
-
33194
Atlantic Civil / SDI Quarry:
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33030
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33031
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33032
-
33133
-
33034
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33035
-
33039
If you are a business owner who believes cracks that developed in your properties floors, walls, and foundation were caused by quarry blasting, contact us today. We work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay us nothing unless we win.
In fact, in most of our cases, if we win, the insurance company must pay all of our attorneys’ fees and costs. If we lose, we will work for free. And, if we win, your insurer will have to pay to repair your business, in addition we will seek to recover the costs related to making structural improvements that would prevent further damage from ongoing blasting.