Funeral Home Collapsed Ceiling Accident Injury Attorney

It’s possible that a ceiling may collapse without warning, but this is extremely rare. If property owners inspect and maintain their facilities on a regular basis, they should notice conditions that indicate problems with the ceiling and walls inside a structure. Many of these issues are obvious, like sagging, water stains, cracks in the drywall, and peeling paint. These problems need to be addressed, whether you are the owner of a residential or commercial property. Otherwise, you are responsible if the ceiling collapses and someone is injured as a result.

With any ceiling collapse incident, it’s important to figure out why the accident happened in the first place. Here are some of the most common issues that can cause a ceiling to collapse:

• Structural defects, not just with the ceiling, but the roof, walls, and other parts of the building
• Improper installation or construction 
• Water damage from flooding, standing water, etc.
• Building code violations
• Poor maintenance or lack of maintenance by the owner or manager of the property
• Insufficient repairs due to cheap materials, contractors without proper certification, etc.

It’s not hard to imagine the catastrophic injuries that can happen to someone when a ceiling collapses on top of them. Some of these incidents are especially dangerous due to the added trauma from light fixtures, wooden beams, and other additions to the ceiling. Below are just some of the injuries you can end up with from a collapsed ceiling at a funeral home:

• Deep lacerations, scars, and other types of disfigurement
• Skull fracture
• Permanent brain damage
• Neck and/or spinal cord damage
• Broken bones
• Fractures in the shoulder, ribs, tailbone, hip, etc.
• Dislocated joints
• Nerve damage, resulting in paralysis
• Amputation 
• Tailbone fracture 
• Internal organ injuries (ruptured or punctured organs)
• Death 

Yes, you can sue a funeral home for a ceiling collapse accident if the incident was a direct result of their negligence. This is based on the concept of premises liability, which holds property owners responsible for injuries to others on their premises. There is another legal concept known as vicarious liability, where employers can be sued for the actions of their employees if it causes harm to another party.

As we mentioned before, business owners have a duty to maintain the ceilings in their structures and make necessary repairs in a timely manner. In the meantime, people should be kept away from the area with warning signs and/or safety barriers. Sadly, some funeral home owners are more concerned with profits than the safety of their guests and visitors. As a result, they may ignore serious defects with the ceiling or allow rooms at the home to be used for funeral services, even if they are aware that the ceiling is unsafe.

Keep in mind that the property owner may not be the only party that’s at fault when a ceiling collapses. The people that installed the celling or made repairs to it may have used inadequate materials or taken shortcuts in order to maximize their profits. Or, maybe these companies hired workers without the right experience, which also compromises the integrity of the ceiling.

You can see the challenges in figuring out just who is responsible for the harm you’ve suffered, which is the key to succeeding in a personal injury lawsuit. With that in mind, please take a moment to contact our law firm, where you can receive guidance from a funeral home collapsed ceiling attorney.

All lawsuits are subject to a statute of limitations, which is the maximum time that someone has to bring a legal proceeding against another individual. When it comes to a personal injury lawsuit, this can mean one of two things: if you are the injury victim, you must file an accident claim with the funeral home within 2 years from the date of injury. Alternatively, if your loved one was killed from a collapsed ceiling at a funeral home, you have 2 years from the date of death to file a lawsuit.

Please note that it’s in your best interest to file a claim as soon as possible. For one thing, it can take considerable time to investigate the incident and collect evidence. You will also need to try and settle your claim with the funeral home’s insurance company before you can go ahead with a lawsuit. With that in mind, it’s not hard to see how victims or their family members can run out of time to sue the funeral home for monetary damages.

To protect your right to compensation, please don’t delay in giving us a call and talking to a lawyer with experience in negligence by a funeral home accident cases.

The value of a lawsuit for a collapsed ceiling accident is dependent on the monetary losses incurred by the victim or their loved ones. These losses translate into monetary damages, which may include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Funeral expenses
• Lost income – wages during the recovery or wages that would have been earned by the decedent.
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral expenses
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Legal fees.
• Punitive damages

The total amount that a plaintiff can receive from any of these damages is different from one case to another. That’s why it’s impossible to state an average payment amount for a funeral home collapsed ceiling injury claim. However, we can say that the majority of these incidents cause extremely serious injuries, and as a result, settlement values may range from $175,000 to $3,500,000, and perhaps over $5,000,000 if there are permanent, disabling injuries.

There is no accurate timeline we can provide when we are talking about the settlement process for a premises liability claim. This is based on various complications that we have limited control over, like the funeral home’s willingness to negotiate a fair settlement. Sometimes, we can reach a mutual agreement on a ceiling collapse accident claim within a few months. But these cases usually take around 6 to 12 months, and even longer, based on whether we will need to ask for a trial date. If that happens, there is a still very good chance of reaching a settlement, as less than 5% of lawsuits are tried in court. However, it may still take over 2 years to get to the point where both sides come to an agreement.

Justice may seem like an impossible task when you are dealing with a painful injury, and frankly, many victims are taken advantage of by insurance companies and their tactics. That’s why it’s essential to have someone on your side that is ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.

DTLA Law Group has been advocating for the rights of injury victims for many years. We know how stressful it can be when you’re trying to make ends meet after a serious accident. That’s why we are prepared to do the heavy lifting in your case, from initiating an accident claim with the funeral home to negotiating a favorable settlement.

We are prepared to help you, whether you are a recent injury victim or you have an accident claim that’s being handled by another law firm. During a free case evaluation or free second opinion, you can learn about your rights and legal options from an experienced ceiling collapse injury attorney. If you decide to go ahead with a personal injury claim, you pay nothing towards the cost of legal fees. With our Zero Fee Guarantee, our payment comes from winning your case and receiving a percentage of your settlement award. That means you won’t have to worry about receiving any bills from us if we don’t win your case.

To discuss your funeral home accident case with one of our attorneys, please contact our law firm as soon as possible.

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