Gulfport MS Termite Damage Lawyer

Termites can do incredible amounts of harm for such a small insect. These bugs thrive in the hot and humid climate of the Gulf Coast area. If you have hired a pest control company and are still dealing with termites, the company clearly did not do what they were paid for. Unfortunately, termite companies are highly skilled at avoiding responsibility for fraudulent or negligent work. However, a skilled Gulfport, MS termite damage lawyer can hold these companies accountable.

For over 25 years, Termite Tom has been representing clients in termite damage claims against bad faith pest control companies. The experienced and knowledgeable legal team at Campbell Law, P.C., understands the tactics often employed by these companies to avoid liability, such as confusing bonds and legal jargon. We can hold these companies accountable for the termite damage you have suffered, winning you both the compensation and justice you deserve.

Many believe that they can only recover compensation to cover the repairs to their home, business, or other structures. However, with the help of Termite Tom, you can recover several other damages, as our firm can evaluate your case to advocate for the true extent of your damages. The team at Campbell Law, P.C., won’t back down without a fight, even against the larger, nationwide pest control companies.

If you are stuck dealing with termite damage because of the negligent or fraudulent actions of a pest control company, Termite Tom can assert your rights to fair compensation.

Signs of a Termite Infestation and What to Expect from an Inspection

Dealing with termites can be frustrating, devastating, and costly. These insects can crawl inside your home and eat it from the inside out, leaving incredible amounts of devastation in their wake. They prefer to invade the wooden structures of a property, but they also don’t mind making a meal out of other materials in your home or business. In addition to wood, they can also cause severe harm to drywall, plaster, paneling, siding, and even concrete.

The most vulnerable areas of your property include doors, door frames, window frames, and the structural framing of a home or business. There are several obvious signs that you are dealing with a termite infestation, including:

• Swarming Insects: The most obviousand severe sign of a termite infestation is seeing the actual, physical swarms of insects. These swarms tend to happen during mating season. Once you see them flying around inside your home or business, the infestation has progressed to something quite serious. They can cause quite a commotion and are likely creating chaos inside your walls.
• Discarded Insect Wings: Termites tend to lose their wings during mating season. They will also intentionally twist them off when they decide to make your home their own. They will leave their wings discarded near entry points into your structure, such as doors or windows. If you find insect wings lying around inside your house, you most likely have termites and should call a pest control company for an inspection.
• Hollow Wood: If you give the wood framing of your house a gentle knock and the sound that reverberates back is hollow, you most likely have termites. These bugs will eat from the inside out, meaning they have already burrowed into the wooden aspects of your property and are currently gnawing away. This, unfortunately, means that your structure could be unstable, depending on how widespread the damage is.
• Warped Doors and Windows: As termites move through your property, you may begin to notice that things do not fit as they should. Windows and doors may seem to be coming loose or buckling, which is a clear sign of an infestation.
• Mud Tubes: If you notice mud tubes near the foundation of your home, this is a common indication of termites. These insects build tubes with a pencil-sized circumference to enter your property, which is their food source. Mud tubes protect them from outside predators as they travel to and from their subterranean colonies.
• Frass: If you begin to notice little piles of pellets near baseboards, windows, or doors, you might have termites. Termites leave behind excrement from eating away at your home’s wooden structures. These pellets can be pale, brown, or black, depending on the type of wood they are currently ingesting.
• Wallpaper or Paint Damage: If you begin to notice your wallpaper or paint buckling, bubbling, or peeling, you might first blame water damage. Unfortunately, this is another sign that termites might actually be the culprit.
• Buckling Wood: If wooden floors or beams are buckling, soft, or flaking, the termite damage has become quite severe.

When you notice the signs of a termite infestation, you will want to call a pest control company, that should come out to your property to give you a thorough inspection. There are several things you will want to watch out for to make sure you have been given a proper quality inspection. A termite inspector should closely check certain locations of your home that are more susceptible to termite damage, especially anywhere with wood, areas that contain moisture, or wooden supports that contact the soil.

They should also check for signs like wood damage, mud tubes, termite exit holes, frass, flying swarms, and discarded insect wings. Areas that should be included in a quality inspection include:

• The outside perimeter of your home
• Basement
• Crawlspace
• Attic
• Foundation
• Any exposed wood or hardwood flooring

If the pest control company fails to check these areas for signs of an infestation, you have most likely not received a proper inspection. This can allow for further damage, leading to emotional distress, financial loss, and even the destruction of your home. If you have not received a quality inspection or have a current or previous termite bond and your home or structure may still be suffering from a termite infestation, you can all a government regulator to inspect your home, have a different or independent pest control company do an inspection, or contact a knowledgeable and experienced termite damage attorney to assist. The last thing you want to do is to have the initial inspection company come back in and possibly destroy evidence. It is important that after this inspection and any supposed treatment the company performs, do not try to address the issue yourself, as you might accidentally harm certain evidence that can be used in a later claim.

Termite Tom and the Team at Campbell Law, P.C.

For over 25 years, the team at Campbell Law, P.C., has been assisting clients in taking back what is theirs after suffering unnecessary damages due to the negligence or fraudulent actions of pest control companies. Since our firm was established, Termite Tom has helped over 19,000 clients recover compensation in termite litigation claims. We have detailed knowledge of how these pest control companies operate, and we can use this to bolster your claim.

Our entire team focuses their time and energy on termite litigation. We are passionate about exposing the negligence and fraud commonly found in the pest control industry. No company is immune from these bad faith practices, including even the big corporations, such as Terminix and Orkin. With our knowledge, experience, and resources, we can gather evidence to strengthen your case and provide expert witnesses to testify in your claim.

Common Excuses Used by Termite Control Companies

You have trusted a pest control company with the safety and structural integrity of your home or business in Gulfport, but you continue to face a termite infestation. In this situation, you might have difficulty getting the response from the companies that you hope for. They will use a wide range of excuses to avoid liability, including:

• The company cannot renew your bond until you pay for further treatment.
• The firm will pay for the damages they uncovered but won’t open the walls of your structure to search for any further hidden harm.
• The business will refuse to help you until you sign a new bond.
• The termite treatment and repair company will claim they are not responsible for the damage, as there is moisture existing in the surrounding areas of your property.
• The business claims the damage is old and will not pay if they do not see any live insects.
• Your bond has lapsed, so they do not need to pay.
• You dug up the chemical barrier and, therefore, the infestation is not their fault.
• There are no swarms, which would make the infestation less severe.
• The damage has been caused by carpenter ants and not termites.
• The termite treatment and repair company has no duty to uncover any hidden damage.
• They only pay for damage caused by subterranean termites and not Formosan termites.
• The business claims you only have a bond to re-treat, so they don’t have to pay for any damages.

If the pest control company you have hired to help with a termite infestation has used any of these excuses or others not listed here, do not invite them to come back to try to remedy the situation they should have done correctly the first time –you need to contact Termite Tom as soon as possible.

Damages Available in Most Termite Damage Claims

You could claim for several damages, in addition to repair or diminished value costs, after suffering harm done by termites. These can include:

• The emotional distress caused by the financial costs of repairs
• The decreased value of your home, business or place of worship
• Businesses that suffer a loss of revenue when they have toclose or pause services due to damage and repairs
• Miscellaneous damages including but not limited to the need to stay in a hotel or short-term rental property, storage units, moving costs, and more.
• Punitive damages if the pest control company acted in bad faith
• Attorney fees

Speak With a Skilled Termite Litigator Today

If you have suffered from the fraudulent or negligent practices of a pest control company while dealing with termites, Termite Tom can advocate for you. Contact the offices of Campbell Law, P.C., today.