A facade collapse in Manhattan left a pile of debris on a city sidewalk, which prompted a street closure. According to an NBC New York report, the incident took place on West 20th Street and 9th Avenue in Chelsea. The debris on the sidewalk appeared to have fallen from the decorative arch over the doorway of a building. New York City Department of Buildings officials said they are conducting a full investigation and will issue violations and take additional enforcement actions, if necessary.
Building owners are responsible for maintaining the facades of their buildings, officials said, adding that they will work to ensure owners take that responsibility seriously. City Department of Buildings records show that no recent or historical complaints had been made for this building, which is designated as a landmark because it is located in the Chelsea Historic District. No injuries have been reported as a result of this facade collapse.
What Causes Facade Collapses?
Crumbling and falling facades have killed people around the country over the years and left other victims with serious injuries prompting several cities including New York and Boston to require buildings to have their facades inspected more frequently. After two female pedestrians were killed in New York City in December and January respectively, building officials have cracked down on facade inspections and are even considering the possibility of using drones to inspect high rises in the city. A new law going into effect Feb. 20 requires property owners (and property managers) to repair dangerous conditions within 90 days of filing a technical report. Once the work is finished, owners must file an amended report within two weeks.
There are a number of reasons why facade collapses occur. However, one of the most important and main causes of these incidents is the building owner, manager and/or other responsible party’s failure to properly maintain these buildings. In New York City, as buildings get older and newer construction continues to pick up, building officials will have to tighten regulations and enforcement and make pedestrian safety a top priority for all city buildings and neighborhoods.
Building facades in New York City are particularly susceptible to deterioration and failure, not only because of their advanced age, but also because of the climate including the freeze-thaw cycle and heavy winds that can pound the area. So, it becomes all the more important that the building facades are constantly monitored and maintained.
If there are loose bricks or unstable portions of the facade, landlords and other responsible parties should work to fix them right away and construct sidewalk sheds, nets, or scaffolding to prevent the loose facades from seriously injuring passersby. Such accidents have the potential to cause major, if not catastrophic, injuries such as head trauma, spinal cord damage, multiple broken bones, internal injuries, etc. And as we have seen in recent accidents, they can cause fatal injuries as well.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
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, 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
Whether you are a construction worker who has suffered injuries at a construction site or a bystander or pedestrian who has been injured by falling debris, 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.
Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year. 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 medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been 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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Source: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-street-closed-after-facade-collapse-no-injuries-reported/2284283/