Roof collapses can lead to disastrous consequences for individuals residing in homes or persons frequenting commercial buildings such as offices, restaurants, shopping malls, supermarkets, manufacturing facilities, and construction sites. A collapsed roof seldom happens in a gradual manner; it is often a sudden onset and leaves little to no time for a victim to react. Since such accidents occur overhead and feature debris that tumbles onto the head and upper body of individuals, serious injuries may result; at times, these injuries can be fatal. Examples of these injuries include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Brain Hemorrhaging
- Neck Fractures
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Traumatic Eye injuries, leading to partial or complete blindness
- Fractured Vertebrae
- Facial Lacerations and Scars
- Skull Fractures
- Broken Noses
- Broken Hands and Arms
- Permanent Disfigurement
- Other Permanent disabilities
- Roof Collapse Fatalities, prompting Wrongful Death Claims
What Causes a Ceiling OR Roof to Collapse
Common causes of roof collapses are as follows:-
Pile up of Snow: Failure to remove accumulated snow or ice from roof, LEADING TO LARGE BUILDUP OF WEIGHT
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Excess Water FROM RAINSTORMS, THUNDERSTORMS, OR HURRICANES
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High Winds FROM STORMS OR TORNADOES
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Building Code Violations, WHEREIN A ROOF WAS IMPROPERLY CONSTRUCTED
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Failure to maintain property BY PROPERTY OWNERS
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Leaking Pipes on the roof, CAUSING WATER AND LIQUID TO DAMAGE THE ROOF AND POTENTIALLY WEAKEN THE STRUCTURE
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Construction modifications, SUCH AS RAISING THE ROOF OR INSTALLING A SKYLIGHT
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Placement of excess weight on the roof, SUCH AS WITH LIGHTS OR STORED MATERIALS
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Attachment of excessive load or collateral load, OR USING THE ROOF TO ANCHOR MATERIALS THAT REST ON THE GROUND
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Placement of Air-conditioning system without proper roof accommodations BY A LICENSED CONSTRUCTION WORKER OR AIR-CONDITIONING INSTALLATION EXPERT
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Building fires, CAUSING THE STRUCTURE TO WEAKEN
Premise Liability: Property Owner Liability for your Roof Collapse Injuries
Landowners’ or land possessors’ liabilities vary greatly depending upon the classification of the victim. Generally, all visitors fall into one of three categories:- Invitee: An invitee is owed the highest duty of care. This person consists of any individual who is either expressly or impliedly invited to another person’s premises for their mutual benefits. These individuals often consist of consumers for businesses who enter premises with the intention of spending money and making purchases to acquire goods, while the property owner receives their money.
- Trespasser: A trespasser can be described as a person who is not legally allowed to be present on the property. They are often awarded the lowest level of care; however, if the landowner is aware of trespassers, he must take certain steps to not intentionally harm them. Trespassers can have the law on their sides in numerous situations if the property owner does not take care of his property.
- Licensee: Any individual who enters the premises at the owner or possessor’s consent for a nonbusiness or commercial purpose. The most common example is a social guest. In order to recover as a licensee, a victim must establish (all three): 1. The owner or possessor knew or should have known of the dangerous condition, and should have known that it created an unreasonable risk of harm, and likewise should have known that the plaintiff would fail to discover the dangerous condition. 2. The owner or possessor did not make the condition safe or failed to warn the licensee of the condition. 3. The licensee did not know of the dangerous condition or of the risks involved.