Common Injuries Caused by a Building Collapse

December 18, 2023 | Personal Injury

Working in the construction industry comes with significant risks. Employers are meant to protect employees from avoidable harm, but when they fail to do so, tragedy often follows. One of the most dangerous accidents in this industry is a building collapse. Unfortunately, these are more likely to occur in partially erected buildings or those that are in a state of significant disrepair—in both cases, you’re likely to have construction workers onsite finishing up the building or making repairs. Building collapses often leave victims suffering from crush injuries and other serious injuries while waiting to be rescued. Whether you’ve been hurt while working on a construction site or your loved one lost their life on a construction site, you must fight for the compensation you are owed. Accountability is key to preventing these tragedies from repeating themselves. The team of construction accident lawyers at Pisegna & Zimmerman is here for you, and you can start your claim from the comfort of your home. We meet with clients over Zoom and handle documents over DocuSign to make life a little easier for you. Give us a call at 818-888-8888 to set up a consultation now.

The construction industry is known for the dangers it poses to workers. A quick look at the statistics backs this up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists construction trade workers as one of several occupations with high fatal work injury rates, clocking in at 38.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers. The average for all workers across all industries is 3.7 per 100,000.

What Can Cause a Building Collapse?

A number of mistakes, unforeseen issues, and natural disasters can cause a building to collapse. In most situations, a collapse is the result of several contributing factors that just happen to align in the worst way possible. Engineering errors are a common issue, as are problems with building materials and structural instability. Collapses may occur when a company does not perform proper inspection or maintenance on a building, causing it to degrade until a collapse is inevitable.

Buildings may also collapse when they are already in the process of being destroyed. Contrary to popular belief, demolitions must be handled very carefully. It’s not just a matter of taking a wrecking ball to a building. Demolition is essentially construction in reverse. It comes with all of the dangers of construction, as well as additional dangers that come with destroying an established building.

In some cases, natural disasters are to blame. These are often considered “acts of God” when it comes to contracts, liability, and insurance coverage issues. However, in some cases, a natural disaster isn’t the sole cause of a building collapse; it simply brings to light underlying issues that would have led to collapse anyway. In the aftermath of a construction accident such as a building collapse, it’s imperative to seek the expertise of a skilled construction accident lawyer. They can navigate the complexities of liability and help victims pursue rightful compensation for injuries and damages incurred.

Serious Injuries Are Common

Construction workers may suffer serious or catastrophic injuries in construction accidents. The sheer weight of building components may lead to crush injuries, which are often incredibly difficult to recover from and may even prove fatal. Victims may suffer amputations, traumatic brain injuries, chemical burns if an explosion occurs, electrocution, exposure to toxic chemicals, and complex bone breaks.

In many cases, the outcome of a severe injury depends entirely on how quickly a victim seeks and receives medical help. This is challenging when a building falls apart because victims don’t get help as soon as emergency services arrive. They still have to figure out how to get a victim out of the rubble without causing further injury or putting other people at risk.

In the wake of such devastating construction accidents, victims need to secure the legal representation of a skilled construction accident attorney. They can provide invaluable guidance and advocacy to ensure victims receive the compensation they deserve for their injuries and losses.

Fatalities Are Often Reported

Unfortunately, these injuries can often lead to death. Crush injuries, organ ruptures, and internal bleeding may ultimately cause a victim’s death, even with proper and prompt treatment. When this occurs, surviving family members are left behind to cope. They must grapple with the reality of planning a funeral, wondering about their loved one’s final moments, thinking about whether or not the accident could have been prevented, and trying to find a way forward.

Determining Liability

Figuring out liability is crucial when you plan on seeking compensation. If an injury occurs at work, an employee is generally only entitled to workers’ compensation. But if a third party is at fault for the accident and subsequent injuries, a personal injury claim is a possibility. Potential liable parties include the property owner, subcontractors, the building inspector, building engineers, manufacturers, and the architect who designed the building.

Choose Pisegna & Zimmerman for Your Construction Accident Claim

Whether you’ve been injured in a building collapse or suffered the loss of a loved one, you don’t have to go through this alone. Let us guide you through this process. Set up your Zoom consultation with our team of construction accident attorneys now by calling us at 818-888-8888 or getting in touch online.