One person was killed and five others were injured in a Manhattan parking garage collapse on April 18. According to a report in the New York Post, the garage has a long history of structural issues that required substantial repairs, including 11-foot-long cracks in the walls and roof. The extensive work that was required to make the parking structure safe was outlined in a 2010 engineering report after the owners of the Ann Street building were hit with a violation summons by the city.
The victim of the garage collapse was identified as 59-year-old Willis Moore, the garage manager, who had been working there for at least 14 years, ABC reports. Moore was believed to have been in the office on the second floor of the four-story garage, when the concrete above that level caved in. We offer our deepest condolences to Moore’s family and wish all those who were injured the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Prior Violations and Ongoing Investigation
The long list of repairs included several 11-foot cracks on the second floor and large cracks in the roof that were 10 and 4 feet respectively. Fractures were also discovered in at least one spot where the buildings ground floor columns connected to a ceiling support beam, the report said. It is unclear if any of the dangerous issues were ever repaired. An engineering expert who talked to the Post said that the issue with the beams was serious.
The dangerous structural problems were first flagged in a 2009 violation summons issued by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) against the property’s owners. As part of the summons, the owners were ordered to hire an outside engineer to evaluate the damage and flag the required repairs. In addition to the large cracks, the engineer identified more than a dozen bolts that needed to be removed from the roof and holes left behind patched up.
The Post reported that the repair work also called for temporary jacks to be installed to shore up the walls on the ground and second floors. A DOB spokesperson said inspectors had visited the site in November 2011 and found the work was ongoing and interior maintenance of the building was in good condition. The building owners, however, never filed the required paperwork showing that they had corrected the violations and were fined $200 by the DOB as a result, said a report.
Officials are still looking into what caused the April 18 collapse. An FDNY internal memo stated that it occurred because of the weight of the vehicles on the roof. The building has been hit with more than 40 violations by DOB inspectors since 1976. It’s unclear if any of the defects or failures found by inspectors contributed to the structure’s eventual collapse.
Liability Issues
Building collapses and facade collapses are sadly common in New York City and they happen due to a number of reasons. Many of these incidents stem from the building owner’s or property manager’s and/or other responsible party’s failure to properly maintain the structure. As buildings age, structures get weaker. It is the duty of building owners and/or managers and other responsible parties to ensure that the conditions of buildings and facades are monitored frequently and maintained as required by the city codes.
If you have been injured as the result of poorly maintained structures or facades, please understand that you have legal rights. 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 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 51 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. 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 $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, 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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Sources: https://nypost.com/2023/04/20/collapsed-manhattan-parking-garage-has-long-history-of-structural-issues-docs/
https://abc7ny.com/nyc-parking-garage-collapse-ann-street-victim-willis-moore/13155809/