When you walk into a building, probably the last thing on your mind is that it would ever begin to crumble and fall down upon you. However, building collapses are very possible and often result in severe injuries and death.
Here’s a look at why building collapses happen and how a building collapse lawyer can help if you or someone you love has been injured in a situation like this.
What Causes a Building to Collapse?
Various things can cause a building to collapse, including architectural defects, poor building materials, improper building maintenance, and issues with the building’s foundation. Fires, water damage, and not keeping up with regular inspections can also make a building fall down and hurt people.
If this happens, the architect, engineer, or property owner could be to blame for failing to create and maintain a safe structure. Other people who could be held responsible for a building collapse include the building’s inspector, initial builder, contractor, subcontractor, and maintenance company.
Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, can cause a building to collapse. These are situations out of everyone’s control, yet many building collapse accidents can be prevented by adhering to high standards in the construction industry and promptly reporting structural damage to the appropriate authorities.
Common Building Collapse Injuries
When a building collapses, the roof may cave in, the walls may fall down, and structural materials may come crashing to the floor. Construction workers are at a high risk of building collapse injuries, such as concussions, broken bones, burns, and limb amputations. Asphyxia, brain injuries, and toxic chemical exposure are also possible when a building falls on you.
What a Building Collapse Lawyer Does
A building collapse lawyer will investigate a victim’s claims and injuries to assess the damages suffered and options for legal recourse. This process will involve reviewing the accident details, building records, medical records, medical bills, witness statements, and expert opinions. With building collapse cases, it may be possible to pursue a personal injury case, premise liability claim, and/or workers’ compensation claim. These cases are worth pursuing because you may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even death benefits for families of victims.
The Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum assists in Brooklyn construction accident cases, including ones involving building collapses. We fight for the rights of construction workers and other people injured at construction sites and know what it takes to be successful to win these types of lawsuits. If a settlement can’t be reached in your case, we will take your case to court so that you are fully and fairly compensated for how you have suffered in the building collapse.
When to Call a New York Building Collapse Lawyer
After seeking medical attention for your injuries, it is best to call a building collapse lawyer as soon as possible. These cases have a limited amount of time for filing a claim, which is typically three years from the date of the accident.
You can trust the Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbuam to be on your side after a construction accident and to have your best interests at heart, starting from the moment we first hear your story. For a free legal consultation or to simply learn more about the process of filing a building collapse accident claim, please contact our office at 718-237-5586 or fill out our online form.
