Porch, balcony, or deck collapse is often times a disastrous incident that more commonly occurs in older structures, including houses and commercial buildings. Typically, they are wooden structures that have suffered many years of wear and tear from use and weather. The wood has rotted and lost the majority of its stabilizing ability, making it a hazard for any who are unfortunate enough to step out onto it.
When a porch or balcony has been worn out to the point of near-collapse, it will only take one instance of overloading for it to collapse and fall through. After this happens, the occupants of the deck are likely to be injured or even be victims of death. Should a balcony in a multi-story building collapse, those who are on the decks beneath the collapsed one are also likely to become victims of this tragedy.
Overloading by people is not the only cause of deck collapse. Furniture or other heavy stationary structures may also break through an older porch or balcony.
Deck collapse does not necessarily have to be the result of rotted wood caving in. Faulty or weak connections between the porch and the building may also result in support failure. Again, these are more common in older buildings, where porches were added before people were made more aware of the necessity of cross-support and stronger links between the main building and the add-on.
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Many cities have building codes that require construction plans to be examined and cleared before erection and scheduled inspections after the building has been completed. If you have been a victim of porch or balcony collapse, do not hesitate to contact Minneapolis personal injury lawyers of Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, P.L.L.C. at 612-362-0000 today.
