Parking Garage Collapse Lawyer

A commercial parking garage must comply with general building codes at the time that it is constructed. Inspectors may also look at the structural integrity of a parking garage through a process that involves the testing of materials, visual inspections, and maintenance records. 

This process can be broken down into a preliminary review, a visual inspection looking for signs of deterioration, a structural elements inspection, checking beams, slabs, and columns, testing materials to determine the durability of items used in the structure, and a load capacity evaluation, which would help inform important decisions about how many people and what type of vehicles could be parked there.

Every time you park your car, you expect that the facility has done the necessary work to make sure that this is a safe location, not just for the purposes of protecting your vehicle and property, but for preventing serious and devastating injuries. 

A parking garage collapse could cause such significant and sudden damage that people may have little or no opportunity to get to safety before it happens. Inspectors may be held responsible if they recently evaluated this site and did not determine any dangerous problems that could cause the parking garage to collapse. 

Luckily, there are some tell-tale signs that a parking garage is vulnerable to the risk of collapse. Some of the indications that a parking garage may collapse include:

• Deterioration of steel components
• Significant corrosion of metal components
• Excessive sagging or deflection in slabs or beams
• Exposed spalling or cracked reinforcing steel and concrete elements
• Failed connections between structural components
• Signs of significant water damage, such as mold
• Structural elements indicating signs of distress

If you can show that the property developer or owner of the property had a reason to know about defective construction issues or deteriorating conditions in the parking garage and failed to take corrective action, that person may be held legally responsible in a lawsuit. 

Visitors and patrons of parking garages do not expect that they are stepping into an unsafe structure or could be at risk of having their property damaged by parking it inside. These devastating accidents have far-reaching consequences for anyone involved in the collapse of a parking garage, making it all the more important to retain legal services from a parking garage collapse lawyer immediately. 

Plenty of cases involving collapsed buildings raise more questions than answers immediately after the collapse happens. This means that investigators must determine what caused the building to collapse, often digging into many different pieces of evidence to find these answers. It is vital that you find a law firm that is prepared to undertake this comprehensive investigative process and to help gather the evidence needed to bring your legal claim or a claim on behalf of a loved one who was killed in this accident. 

Cities and states may have specific rules related to inspections for locations like parking garages. For example, in New York City, parking garages are subject to regular inspections and maintenance to enhance public safety. Professionals must be retained by the owners of parking garages to complete a thorough investigation a minimum of once every three years. At that point, the inspection report is then submitted to the department of buildings, and the owner is responsible for making any repairs outlined in the report as problematic. 

Other major cities or states may have other parking garage requirements. Your parking garage collapse lawyer will launch an investigation into whether the building owner knew about possible dangers or should have known about possible dangerous issues that caused a parking garage collapse. In these circumstances, when someone is injured, when property is damaged, or when a loved one has been killed because of a preventable parking garage collapse, it is extremely important to identify a parking garage collapse lawyer immediately. 

There are complex legal issues that must be evaluated and the possibility for many different pitfalls and challenges in these legal cases. Finding someone who understands how to hold someone responsible for failure to comply with building construction or maintenance issues can make an enormous difference for your case.

When you have survived a terrible accident or even lost a loved one, moving forward can seem impossible. Taking legal action against those who have wronged you can seem overwhelming, as you already have to deal with the aftermath of a tragedy.

At Morgan & Morgan, we understand that pain and hopelessness. Our founder, John Morgan, experienced such tragedy firsthand, which is what inspired him to fight For the People for over 35 years. With our commitment to our clients, we have grown into the country’s largest personal injury law firm with over $20 billion recovered, and we can continue that fight if you are in a time of need.

We recognize the complicated factors for surviving victims, who may have substantial medical costs and serious medical conditions. If you're unsure of what to do after a parking garage collapse, contact our legal team today to learn more.

Don’t wait to get the justice and compensation that you need and deserve. Find the right parking garage collapse lawyer for you and take your first steps toward recovery. Contact Morgan & Morgan for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn more. It won’t cost you anything. Our Fee Is Free™—you only pay us a share of your compensation if we win your case.