Building collapse is a very dangerous type of accident. Although such accidents are not a very common sight in New York, ceiling & building collapse injuries in NYC do happen. It should only be dealt with by credible and capable lawyers who have experience in this domain and know how to handle the case and claim. In case of such an accident, there are a lot of factors that one should consider before making someone liable. However, in poor construction, the central blame is mainly on the owner and the construction company. Therefore, even though proving to the courts that the building or ceiling collapsed due to poor construction may be complicated, if you have hired a good lawyer, your worries can significantly reduce and give you the best compensation.
Condition of the building
If the condition of the building is not up to the set standards, it is the owners’ responsibility to make the necessary repairs and maintenance. Competent contractors should administer the repairs, and they should make sure that the standards are followed. The state of New York has unambiguous guidelines on the condition of residential and commercial buildings, which is mandatory for the owners to follow.
Poor construction
The contractor and construction company are directly responsible if the building or ceiling sustains any damage or breakage during the construction phase. As long as the construction work is going on, the contractors are responsible for ensuring the safety of the laborers, workers, or visitors. However, the people must follow the safety procedures, without which the liability may not be levied on the company.
Design flaw
There are cases where the design of the building is flawed, and if that is not rectified at the right time, severe damage and injuries may happen. In this case, the architecture company, including the engineers, may be held liable by the court. Since it is the responsibility of the architectures to ensure proper designs and load management, along with the engineers, both parties may be held accountable for any loss to the people or the property.
Poor quality material
Lastly, the companies providing the material for construction can be held liable if it can be proved that the material they provided, such as mortar, iron, or any other item used in construction, is of sub-standard or below-standard qualities. It would be pertinent to prove that the quality of the material was different than the agreed standard. Still, if the owner buys low-quality material to save costs, the provider might get an exemption from any direct liability. This, however, would be guided by an attorney and decided by the court.
Overall liability
In case of a collapse, the most liability falls on the owner and the construction company, as they are the prominent decision-makers and stakeholders. However, depending on their role and contribution, other parties have partial liability.
Conclusion
Concluding the article, if there is a building or ceiling collapse in New York, the two main things the court may look at before handing over the liability is the state of the building. If the building is old and occupied, a significant portion of the liability will fall on the building owner, as maintenance is their responsibility. However, suppose the building is in the construction stage. In that case, players such as architects, engineers, material providers, construction companies, and other stakeholders might have to share the liability, depending on their contribution to the accident. Suppose you are injured in such an accident. In that case, it is adviced to hire a credible building accident lawyer who would ensure that you get the maximum compensation from different stakeholders.
