Chilean Supreme Court upholds construction damage ruling

The Supreme Court of Chile has upheld a ruling ordering Inmobiliaria Janequeo S.A. and Constructora e Inmobiliaria Esperanza S.A. to pay significant damages resulting from construction work in Concepción.

The First Chamber rejected an appeal, maintaining a sentence that requires the companies to pay $28,248,590 plus VAT for material damages. Additionally, the court upheld a $15,000,000 compensation for moral damages for each of the two affected property owners.

The dispute originated from a 2019 lawsuit filed by a family who claimed that a nearby real estate project, consisting of buildings with 22 and 5 floors, caused ground settlement, cracks, uneven doors and access points, and damage to a shared wall. The plaintiffs also reported exposure to noise and particulate matter.