While the last high-profile building collapse to occur in Buffalo, fortunately, ended with no reported injuries, accidents like this often result in catastrophic harm to dozens of people at once. Whether a collapse occurs in a building actively undergoing construction or renovation, or in a completed structure that suddenly fails with visitors and tenants inside, it is vital to determine exactly what happened and who is responsible for the event. It is also equally important to establish what actions are necessary to minimize the risk of another incident.
When you are injured in a building collapse while working on a construction site or in any other context, a Buffalo building collapse lawyer is available to help. At Richmond Vona, LLC, our construction accident attorneys know how traumatic and life-altering incidents like this are. We will put every bit of our experience and expertise to work to pursue a positive case result and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Who Is Liable for Building Collapse Injuries?
Unfortunately, establishing precisely what factors led to a partial or total building collapse can take years of investigation and require assistance from numerous state and federal government authorities. In the meantime, there is often enough evidence to proceed with civil litigation against one or more parties whose negligence likely contributed directly to the collapse or allowed it to happen through a failure to address serious problems.
Potential defendants in a claim like this may include:
- The building’s owner or management
- Companies responsible for the building’s construction
- The original architect(s) of the building
- Individual workers who may have engaged in reckless conduct during construction or failed to perform diligent inspections
- Local government entities responsible for determining building safety
A Buffalo building collapse attorney can play a vital role in sorting through available information, determining who did or did not play a role in the building’s collapse, and taking proactive action against them.
Taking Legal Action Inside Filing Deadlines
A comprehensive lawsuit or settlement demand following a building collapse should account for both short-term and long-term losses stemming from the incident, including:
- All past and future medical expenses, including costs of rehabilitative therapy and assistive equipment
- Lost working ability or income
- Lost or damaged personal property
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional and psychological trauma
- Lost enjoyment of life
When a building collapse directly results in someone’s wrongful death, surviving family members can demand compensation for their ensuing losses. Restitution can be economic such as funeral and burial costs as well as non-economic emotional anguish and loss of companionship. Regardless of how extensive the losses caused by a building collapse in Buffalo are, anyone intending to file suit over one generally must do so—or have a qualified personal injury attorney do so on their behalf—within three years of the initial incident. This statute of limitations is per New York Civil Practice Law & Rules § 214.
Talk to a Buffalo Building Collapse Attorney About Your Legal Options
Building collapses are thankfully rare, but when they do happen, they are almost invariably devastating for dozens of people and their families. On top of that, getting fair financial compensation for losses sustained due to a structural failure is unfortunately far from simple, especially without guidance from seasoned legal counsel.
A Buffalo building collapse lawyer from our team can provide the custom-tailored support you need to pursue your case effectively. Call our firm today for a free consultation.
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Words cannot describe how grateful my wife and I are of John Richmond. His friendliness, knowledge, loyalty and professionalism are of the highest level. Being this was the first time we’ve had to obtain legal assistance, John made this process very easy for my wife and I. We both would highly recommend Richmond Vona.
What a phenomenal experience to come from a terrifying accident. From day 1 Richmond/Vona provided me with nothing but comfort and professionalism. Communication is paramount in my needs and they performed that with nothing short of exceptional. Mr. Richmond made me feel like this was the only case he was working on. Thank you to all of your staff for looking out for my best interests and taking a stressful situation and making it so very easy for me and my family.
My experience with Keith Vona was exceptional. To this day, I am grateful for the dedication and compassion he displayed throughout my case. The outcome of my case was successful as a result of his drive and commitment. I would highly recommend Keith Vona to anyone in need of legal representation.
