The prominent construction firm Great Western Buildings, known for its prefabricated steel buildings, has recently been embroiled in an intricate web of legal scrutiny, customer complaints, and broader industry repercussions from high-profile lawsuits.
This multifaceted legal saga has shed light on allegations of negligence, defective products, and misrepresentation by Great Western Buildings while also catalyzing larger conversations around construction standards, regulatory oversight, intellectual property rights, and ethical conduct in the steel structures industry.
What is the Great Western Buildings Lawsuit?
The Great Western Buildings lawsuit refers to a class action legal case brought against the company in 2019 by multiple plaintiffs alleging that Great Western’s steel buildings were defective, unsafe, and failed to comply with the quality and durability standards advertised.
These customers cited major leaks, structural instability, rapid deterioration of buildings, and overall substandard quality compared to promises made by the construction firm.
The plaintiffs sought financial restitution for damages, asserting that Great Western misrepresented their buildings as high-quality and durable when, in reality, they were negligently constructed and used inferior materials that did not adhere to building codes or pass inspection requirements. Some plaintiffs even reported major safety hazards resulting from structural deficiencies in the steel buildings.
Overall, the Great Western Buildings lawsuit contended that customers suffered substantial financial loss and safety risks due to breaches of contract and false advertising by the prominent construction company once known for reliable steel buildings.
Great Western Buildings Complaints
The class action lawsuit brought concentrated dissatisfaction with Great Western Buildings into formal legal action. Still, it was preceded by years of mounting grievances and customer complaints alleging similar issues with the company’s steel structures.
Some common complaints included:
- Leaking roofs and walls from nearly the beginning of buildings’ lifespan
- Rust, holes, and rapid deterioration of steel components
- Walls bowing or buckling due to inadequate structural support
- Loose fixtures and fittings due to poor construction
- Buildings failing inspection tests for code compliance
Many customers reported complaining repeatedly to Great Western about quality issues but received inadequate responses and saw problems worsen over time. The pervasiveness of these complaints signified broader systemic issues with Great Western’s quality control, materials sourcing, and construction methods contradicting their marketing claims.
What is Great Western Buildings?
Great Western Buildings has been a notable player in steel construction since its founding in 1992, providing pre-engineered steel buildings primarily for commercial and industrial facilities across the United States. The company became a leading name in quick-build, customizable steel structures ranging from warehouses to retail spaces.
Great Western differentiated itself by touting “best-in-class” buildings with rigorous engineering, high-grade American steel, and manufacturing principles designed for maximum durability and resilience.
Its website and advertising materials prominently feature claims that its prefabricated steel buildings exceed industry expectations for longevity and offer “military-grade” wind and snow resistance.
However, the recent lawsuits and complaints suggest major deficiencies between Great Western’s marketing messaging and the quality and safety of buildings delivered to customers.
The Genesis of Legal Scrutiny
According to sources familiar with Great Western’s operations, the company’s slide into legal trouble began in 2016 when some major buildings started exhibiting premature failures, including a warehouse roof collapse in upstate New York and reports of walls buckling at multiple building sites.
These high-profile structural issues triggered a closer inspection of other Great Western projects, revealing pervasive quality problems. Industry watchdogs also began documenting patterns of customer complaints centering on similar topics that were previously assumed to be isolated incidents.
By 2018, several professional engineering associations had condemned certain deficient Great Western designs and construction practices as unsafe and non-compliant with codes. These events set the stage for aggrieved customers to seek legal remedies the following year, citing negligence and misrepresentation by the construction firm.
Intellectual Property Disputes
On top of the liability surrounding the physical steel buildings, Great Western Buildings has also faced legal allegations regarding intellectual property infringement. In 2017, prominent architect Michael Johnson sued the company for allegedly plagiarizing his unique designs for a multi-purpose event venue submitted in a public design competition.
Johnson accused Great Western of utilizing his designs as the basis for a new convention center constructed that same year without permission, compensation, or credit for the original design work. His lawsuit asserted clear copyright infringement and aimed to claim damages for this intellectual property theft.
The case underscored architects’ challenges in protecting creative designs and the complexities of intellectual property disputes in the building construction space. For critics of Great Western Buildings, it again signified negligence and dishonest practices by the company.
Regulatory Oversight and Construction Standards
The Great Western lawsuits have amplified scrutiny of regulatory oversight processes and setting safety and quality standards in the steel construction industry.
Some industry leaders argue the high-profile structural failures and code violations spotlighted by Great Western’s situation may have been preventable with more stringent regulatory auditing protocols and material testing requirements during construction. They contend regulators should mandate more exhaustive stress testing for designs and impose stiffer penalties for code violations.
Others emphasize that more robust inspection regimes during building erection could catch flaws in construction techniques or defective materials before projects are completed and occupied. Great Western’s case has strengthened calls for tighter quality control requirements to protect consumers and prevent shoddy work.
Customer Trust and Industry Impact
The customer complaints and allegations emerging from the Great Western Buildings lawsuit have significant implications for the company and the wider prefabricated steel building industry.
According to company financials, the lawsuits have severely damaged Great Western’s reputation, resulting in a 51% drop in new building orders since 2017. Customer trust has eroded, with previously loyal clients feeling misled and mistreated. The company is also saddled with millions in litigation costs and settlement payouts.
The Great Western situation has also increased suspicion and stigma for competitors in the steel building sphere. Other providers report clients voicing renewed concerns about longevity and safety when evaluating new metal structures. Restoring confidence across the broader industry will require transparent communication and demonstrable commitments to quality assurance.
Read More Posts
Troubleshooting Guide: How To Connect Your Shark Robot Vacuum To New WiFi
Navigating Tradition: The Taipei Self-Driving Gharry Experience
Conclusion
The complex circumstances around the Great Western Building lawsuits offer an important case study with implications across the construction sector. The chain of events provides insight into how lapses in ethical business practices, disregard for codes, and lack of quality control can engender disastrous consequences for a company while spurring valuable reforms.
Great Western now faces the sizable task of rebuilding its reputation and reassessing its construction methods, designs, and materials sourcing. Meanwhile, the industry is pressed to address regulatory shortcomings, protect intellectual property, and preserve customer interests for speed and cost savings. For construction firms of all sizes, the Great Western story underscores that legitimacy is built on more than four walls and a roof.
