Bullock awarded $7m damages

Sandra Bullock was awarded about $7m (€5.65m) in damages when a jury agreed with her claim that a builder did shoddy work on her Lake Austin home.

The star of the Speed movies and romantic comedies such as Miss Congeniality has been locked in a legal battle with the builder of a lakefront home she has never moved into.

A Texas jury awarded Bullock what her lawyers estimate will be about $7m in damages, including lawyers’ fees. Bullock was not present for the verdict.

Lawyers for the builder, Benny Daneshjou, said their client planned to appeal.

The lengthy trial began in August. Bullock’s lawyers argued Daneshjou was responsible for $4m (€3.2m) in repairs needed to the 10,000-square-foot mansion, which was never finished.

Witnesses testified the house had water damage, faulty framing on the roof, wiring within the drywall that was too small and damage in the masonry.

Daneshjou’s lawyers had said a former project manager and most of the subcontractors were to blame.

Jurors awarded Bullock more than $2m (€1.6m) for repairs, $400,000 (€323,000) for maintaining the house since February 2000, and found Daneshjou’s company was responsible for $280,425 (€226,500) in overcharges for labour.