Personal Injury Lawyer
Some people might remember the tragic Surfside incident in Florida in which a portion of the building collapsed killing several individuals. It has been found that lawyers of the victims have finally reached a tentative agreement to split 83 million amongst those who have lost property in the incident.
The deal still needs to be approved by a judge but this will avoid an awkward forced surrendering of the value of owners’ units to pay off the families of the deceased. A personal injury lawyer can explain that this money is also different from what victims and families of victims will be paid from wrongful death and other personal injury claims.
While people attribute the collapse of Champlain Towers South to overlooked above ground corrosion, residents also attribute it due to the construction of a tower next door shaking its foundation. But when incidents like this occur in which the property itself has become a hazard and has caused injury to tenants, here are the individuals whose finger you could point at when deciding who to set up a lawsuit against:
Contractors: Those who built the building are expected to build to code, adhering to all of OSHA’s standards as well as any state specific standards to make sure the building constructed can stand the test of time and stand in general. But sometimes contractors will get lackadaisical in their work and only half-perform their duties. A few screws loose here and there might seem unnoticeable at first but they add up to undermining the structural integrity of the property. If found that the work itself done to build the structure was the cause of the collapse, the contractors can be held liable for it.
Architects/planners: Architects go through years of training and expertise gathering to be able to plan the construction of buildings. Once they’ve made their plans, people expect these blueprints to hold up in creating a structure that will last and serve its purpose. But sometimes the architect will get it wrong or perhaps they wont have as much expertise as they should for the project they happen to be tackling. If a structure fails due to bad planning, then the architect should be held liable for the incident.
Property Owners: Surveys of the property must be held overtime to check on and ensure the integrity of the property while making sure that any issues that can exacerbate and ultimately bring down the property are taken care of. IF the property owner is lazy on calling upon surveys or maintenance and the property falls as a result, it’s the owner who is held liable in this instance.
Thanks to Truck Accident Lawyer DC for their expertise in the area of personal injury law as it pertains to liability for failed structures.