Building Collapse

It is difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate all potential risk factors for serious injury from construction work. This is especially true when the work involves erecting and demolishing building, or restoring those that have fallen into disrepair where one of the biggest concerns is building collapse. Personal injury lawyers who represent victims in these types of scenarios often tell construction workers that they should always feel that their employer has done its best to promote safe working conditions.

Of the many hazards that can happen in construction work, building collapse is one of the most catastrophic events that can take place. The responsibility for a construction accident is a large part of the system of determining compensation for any given injury in the workplace including accidents involving a building collapse or construction debris. A construction firm, building owner, or tool manufacturer, may be held responsible for injuries incurred as a result of such accidents.

According to the work injury lawyers at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg LLP, if any safety measures at a construction site were disregarded or equipment malfunctioned, a lawsuit may be filed to compensate the victim for sustained injuries and lost wages.

For example, early in 2006, one construction worker was killed and another grievously injured when a building, which the workers were preparing for demolishment, collapsed. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) investigation into the incident found that the firm who was handling the contract had not provided it's employees who were working on the roof with adequate fall protection and also failed to shore up the sections of the buildings where the workers were performing their tasks and were therefore responsible for the construction accident. OSHA also charged the firm with not conducting an engineering survey to determine the building's condition and likelihood of collapse; neglecting to instruct its employees in how to recognize threatening conditions; failing to erect shoring towers, guard rails, and failing to implement a mechanism capable of limiting falling construction debris; and also failing to devise a fire-protection program.