LOGAN – Three more lawsuits have been filed against Beckley Drilling & Blasting Services for alleged highway construction-related property damages.
Vecillio & Grogan Inc. was also named as a defendant in the suits.
Thomas Hatfield, Julie Hill and Stella McClellan filed separate lawsuits in Logan Circuit Court over claims their homes and properties suffered damages due to the blasting efforts of the defendants during highway construction.
The defendants began constructing a highway in 2014, which lasted until June 2016, according to the suits.
They allege the blasting was abnormally dangerous and the defendants are liable for all the damages that purportedly were sustained due to the blasting.
The plaintiffs claim their homes experienced cracks and there were other problems that occurred to their properties because of the blasting efforts of the defendants.
The plaintiffs claim they suffered damages, including a decreased value of their properties and the costs of repairs for their homes. They also claim the blasting efforts were an annoyance and inconvenience to their daily lives and they did not enjoy their properties as much because of the construction.
The defendants' actions during the construction project were negligent and were the reason the plaintiffs suffered damages and other injuries, according to the suits.
The defendants' blasting efforts and the damages done to the plaintiffs' properties constituted a nuisance, according to the suits.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. They stipulated that the damages will not exceed $65,000. They are represented by John H. Skaggs of The Calwell Practice and G. Patrick Jacobs of The Law Office of G. Patrick Jacobs, both in Charleston.
There are approximately two dozen similar lawsuits filed in Logan County against Bizzack Construction for highway construction around the same time period. Three previous cases were filed against Beckley earlier this year.
Logan Circuit Court case numbers 18-C-126, 18-C-127, 18-C-128