A portion of a facade of a vacant six-story building in the Bronx that was under construction collapsed sending bricks falling onto an awning and the sidewalk below. According to an ABC7 news report, the facade collapse occurred at 200 West Tremont Avenue where an approximately 20-foot-by-5-foot section of masonry wall fell off the building.
No Injuries Reported
Officials said no one was injured. New York City Department of Buildings officials
said the bricks also fell onto the roofs of adjacent buildings and commercial stores. Full vacate orders have been issued at those three stores. Forensic engineers were brought to the scene to conduct structural stability inspections. The building was vacant after a partial collapse in August 2021.
In that incident, construction workers were being hoisted up in a suspended scaffold along the front wall when a large section of the facade collapsed off the sixth floor and landed on the sidewalk shed down below. The construction workers were on site for a permitted facade replacement and repair project. It is indeed fortunate that no passersby or workers were injured in this most recent facade collapse.
What is the Responsibility of Building Owners?
We have witnessed a number of facade collapses in New York City over the last few years and some of them have resulted in major injuries or even fatalities. Many of these incidents stem from the building owner’s, property manager’s and/or another responsible party’s failure to properly maintain the structure.
As buildings age, facades get weaker. It is the duty of building owners and/or managers, etc. to ensure that the condition of buildings and facades are routinely monitored and maintained as required by the city codes. New York City buildings six stories or higher must have their facades inspected every five years.
After a 2019 facade collapse where a piece of terra cotta fell from a Manhattan building and fatally injured a 60-year-old architect, the New York City Department of Buildings has increased penalties, mandated additional close-up inspections of exterior walls and increased the required qualifications and responsibilities of inspectors. While the city’s Facade Inspection and Safety Program requirement for the five year inspection only applies to buildings taller than six stories, city officials state that owners of smaller buildings are also required to keep their properties in good condition, or face penalties.
When portions of the facade become unstable, landlords (building owners) and other responsible parties should work to repair them right away and construct sidewalk sheds, nets, or scaffolding to prevent the unstable parts of the facade from injuring passersby. Such accidents have the potential to cause major, if not catastrophic or even fatal injuries.
Liability Issues
General construction companies, managing agents, building owners, some contractors and sub-contractors have a responsibility to ensure that facades, scaffolds and other structures at a construction site are properly secured so they don’t pose a danger to workers, visitors or pedestrians at or near the worksite. If you have been injured as the result of poorly maintained or poorly secured facades, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for your losses.
In such cases, injured bystanders or passersby can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injury, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as lost future income, funeral costs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc. Liable parties may include construction companies, general contractors, sub-contractors, property or building owners/managers, manufacturers of defective products, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a facade collapse or building collapse, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://abc7ny.com/facade-collapse-falling-bricks-morris-heights/11529656/