Los Angeles contains significant commercial building stock constructed between 1920 and 1970, before modern sprinkler codes and water detection standards. Buildings in neighborhoods like Koreatown, Pico-Union, and parts of Downtown combine aging plumbing with high-density document storage. Cast iron drain lines corrode. Galvanized supply lines develop pinhole leaks. Original sprinkler systems use outdated head designs that discharge excessive water volumes. When failure occurs, water impacts entire floors before building management can respond. The region's seismic activity compounds these risks, as ground movement stresses pipe joints and connections over decades.
California's document retention laws create extended liability for businesses that cannot produce records during audits or litigation. Medical practices must retain patient records for seven years past last visit. Employers must maintain personnel files for specific periods depending on document type. Legal practices face indefinite retention requirements for closed case files containing certain materials. When water damage destroys these records, businesses face regulatory penalties and litigation disadvantages. Professional wet document salvage services provide the documentation and methodology courts recognize when opposing counsel challenges record integrity or when regulators question compliance.
