A Case Study in Hail Damage to a Frank Lloyd Wright Residence
April 9th, 2019 marks 60 years since Frank Lloyd Wright passed away. The American architect designed over 1,000 structures, however, only about half were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment.
Hail is never harmonious with its environment. There was no question that hail had damaged the copper roof of the only Dallas residential structure designed by the well-known architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. What began as a hail damage assessment on a historic house escalated to egregious claims that water intrusion and associated corrosion, wood rot and mold were the result of a single hail event that occurred in 2003.
We take a look back at Dr. Erik L. Nelson’s case study that outlines the facts of the case including basic hail damage theory, the claims by the property owner, and completes with impeaching testimony provided at deposition and trial. A key trial exhibit is presented that illustrates that the information and assessment provided by the expert witness author
was instrumental in revealing that the majority of the claimed damage existed prior to the hail event and developed due to long-term water intrusion. Read the full publication.
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Featured Image: Copyright © Douglas Newby. [On-site exterior view of John Gillin’s house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright]Uploaded by significanthomes.com, http://significanthomes.com/home/9400-rockbrook-drive-dallas-texas/attachment-11777/
Header Image: By Robert Yarnall Richie – [Close-up aerial view of John Gillin’s house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright]Uploaded by oaktree_b, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18930722
