Rochester, New York, Building Collapse Injury Lawyers

Jed Dietrich, Esq., and His Team of Tenacious Building Collapse Accident Injury Attorneys at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Will Aggressively Advocate for Individuals Injured in Building Collapse Incidents in Rochester, New York.

Recently, a condominium building collapsed in Miami, Florida, killing 98 people and injuring roughly a dozen more. Events like the collapse in Miami understandably stir up anxiety in individuals who rent, causing them to worry about the structural integrity of their homes. Unfortunately, building failures in the United States are more common than they should be. According to the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 225 building collapses occurred over a recent 10-year period, or roughly 20 times a year. Most of these events occurred in apartment buildings.

The City of Rochester Bureau of Buildings and Zoning has stuck to a strict building inspection schedule of every three years for the last several decades. Knowing there are regulations in place to ensure that a building is structurally sound and properly maintained can be reassuring. However, as laypeople, most of us are at the mercy of those responsible for the conditions of the buildings we live in and have public access to, from the engineers who design them to the individuals who own them.

No matter the circumstances, building collapse events are catastrophic and traumatic for those involved. If you have been injured in one, you are likely enduring a great deal of distress as a result. Your feelings are justified, and our team of top-tier personal injury attorneys at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. are here to help you navigate your case with compassion and proficiency. Since 1999, Jed Dietrich, Esq., has been skillfully representing individuals in personal injury cases. Through his aggressive advocacy, Jed Dietrich, Esq. has acquired $175 million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients, including those injured in building, ceiling, and stair collapses throughout Western New York.

If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a building collapse incident in Rochester, New York, contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today by calling (585) 939-3939 or visiting us online for a free consultation. Our team of building collapse accident injury attorneys in Rochester, New York, is prepared to advocate for you. We will never charge you until we have obtained a judgment in your favor. Our office is open 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.

While smaller building collapses are more commonplace than larger ones in the United States, the Surfside condominium collapse’s magnitude makes it noteworthy. Fortunately, the event has driven structural engineers and city planners to determine how such failures occur and, more importantly, how future ones can be prevented.

One study conducted by the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities concluded that most building failures were caused by external causes and construction and maintenance deficiencies. External causes, according to the study, include rain, wind, snow, vehicular impact, and collision. Kurt Martin, Rochester’s director of Bureau of Buildings and Zoning, echoed this fact in an interview with Spectrum News Rochester following the event in Miami. “Most of the time [structural collapses are caused by] a fire event or a motor vehicle event,” Martin said, emphasizing that collapses typically occur with smaller structures.

The seemingly random occurrence of building collapses might have you thinking they are simply a fact of life. But they do not have to be. Structural failures can be prevented, and when they occur, they often occur due to the negligence of those whose duty it is to inhibit them, such as engineers, manufacturers, and property owners. As a tenant or visitor of a public building, it is unlikely that you would contact the individuals who designed the building or supplied the materials to build it, even if you are concerned about how it is being maintained. However, you can get in touch with the property owner regarding measures they can take to prevent potential building collapses, such as:

1. Ensuring Fire Safety Protocols are in Place: Owners of apartment buildings and commercial buildings in New York State need to ensure their properties are outfitted with functional, up-to-date, and clearly visible fire safety equipment, such as emergency fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and automatic sprinkler systems.
2. Displaying Signage to Prevent Collisions: 87% of car collisions involving buildings happen in commercial spaces such as stores and restaurants. Such accidents—and the injuries that result from them—are disturbingly common. Research shows that twenty people are struck while standing at the ATM every month. Unfortunately, signage and lighting might not always effectively deter such collisions. If a building is situated in a high-traffic or otherwise vulnerable area, more expensive measures, such as concrete bollards, might be a better defense.
3. Performing Routine Maintenance: Building owners are responsible for performing regular maintenance on their properties. They also have a duty to inspect their buildings immediately if tenants notify them of damage, such as cracked concrete, doors and windows that are not level, leaks, and sagging ceilings or floors.

Regardless of the precipitating event, being injured in a building collapse incident is traumatic. If you have sustained an injury due to someone else’s negligence, our team of top-rated Rochester building collapse accident injury attorneys at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. are here to assist you. Call us at (585) 939-3939 or visit us online for a free consultation. We will not charge you a fee until we have won your case.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 585-939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We do not charge you until we WIN for you!