Accident from a Ceiling Collapse – What are my Rights?

We’ve all heard of nightmare situations where a roof or ceiling caves in on someone, and sadly, most of these accidents could have been prevented with basic care and maintenance. The truth is, people take it for granted that the ceilings in our homes and other places we visit are safe and sturdy. This is particularly true in commercial buildings, where the owners and leasing companies should be keeping an eye out for structural issues at all times.

Unfortunately, negligence by various individuals can result in a ceiling collapse accident that injures one or more people. This is a terrifying situation for anyone to find themselves in, and even if your injuries are not that serious, the resulting property damage can leave you without a place to live or safely store your belongings.

If you or your loved one was injured from a collapsed ceiling, we can help you seek compensation through a personal injury or property damage lawsuit against the negligent party. To learn more about your legal options from an experienced attorney, contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.

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What can Cause a Ceiling to Collapse?

In most cases, there are warnings that a ceiling is unsafe and on the verge of collapse. Red flags to look out for include water stains, cracks in the plaster, chipped or peeling paint, and sagging. The issue may be relatively minor in the beginning, but failure to fix the problem in a timely manner can cause the ceiling to weaken over time and collapse on an innocent victim.

Here are some examples of underlying issues that can cause a ceiling to collapse:

• Lack of or poor maintenance by the property owner
• Structural defects with the ceiling, roof, or building
• Improper construction methods
• Water damage, often from leaking pipes
• Failure to inspect, or failing to follow inspection guidelines
• Insufficient repairs / building code violations

Injuries from a Collapsing Ceiling Accident

Due to the amount of debris and blunt force trauma that can be inflicted on the victim, collapsed ceiling accidents have the potential to cause serious harm. Possible injuries include, but are not limited to:

• Skull fracture and broken facial bones
• Brain damage (traumatic brain injury)
• Deep lacerations
• Spinal cord damage / neck injury
• Dislocated joints
• Loss of limb or loss of function
• Fractured ribs
• Fractures to the hip, pelvis, or tailbone
• Puncturing or rupturing of internal organs
• Fatality

Please seek medical attention immediately, as you may have serious complications that will only get worse without proper treatment. You will also need medical documentation of the harm you’ve suffered in order to have a strong case for monetary compensation.

Your Right to Compensation from a Collapsed Ceiling Accident

Speaking of compensation, who is responsible for the monetary losses you’ve sustained from a ceiling collapse incident? Usually, the party that is liable for these accidents is the property owner, which can be a private homeowner, a landlord, a business owner, leasing company, or government agency. These entities are responsible for maintaining the property that they own and ensuring that it’s free of hazardous conditions. Thus, if you are injured from a ceiling collapsing on top of you, a premises liability lawsuit against the property owner is the most likely outcome.

There are scenarios where another party may be involved, like a construction company or the manufacturer of materials that were used in the construction process. A repair company may be to blame as well, if they failed to make adequate repairs or caused a separate issue that caused the ceiling to eventually collapse. Damage to the ceiling can also be caused by tenants in places like apartment buildings. For example, if the tenant above you engaged in unsafe or improper conduct that caused flooding in their unit, that can lead to a celling collapse in your apartment.

In essence, there may be more than one entity that you can go after if you suffered bodily harm and property damage from a collapsed ceiling. The lawyers of Normandie have the knowledge and experience to determine the sources of liability for your accident. This is crucial to accessing all the possible avenues of monetary compensation and ensuring that you end up with the highest possible settlement from a ceiling collapse lawsuit.

Free Second Opinion

Are you in the middle of an accident claim, but have serious concerns that are not being addressed by your current attorney? It sounds like you could benefit from a second opinion, which we are happy to provide you with here at Normandie Law Firm. Best of all, there is no fee for this consultation, nor is there any pressure to switch your lawyer by taking some time to speak with us. For a free second opinion from a ceiling collapse injury lawyer, contact us today.

Average Case Value of a Ceiling Collapse Injury Lawsuit

Each accident causes different levels of harm and suffering to the victim, which is why it’s impossible to say what these lawsuits are worth on average. Based on the details of your accident, you may be entitled to a variety of damages, like medical expenses, value of lost wages and work benefits, pain and suffering, and damage to your belongings. The sum of all the available damages can exceed easily exceed $100,000 in many of these cases, with the majority of settlements falling between $175,000 and $3 million.

Knowing the amount you can recover from a personal injury lawsuit is essential in the fight for justice when someone else’s negligence is responsible for your accident. To discuss the potential value of your ceiling collapse injury claim, please schedule a free case review by contacting our office.

Reaching a Settlement – How Long Does it Take?

As with case values, there are different elements in each and every case that will affect how long it takes to settle a collapsed ceiling lawsuit. Overall, it’s likely that at least 6 months will be required to bring a successful resolution to your case, meaning we are able to negotiate a favorable settlement with the insurance company. But it can sometimes take over a year to reach a settlement, especially if you have severe injuries that merit higher case values. If the insurance company continues to lowball settlement offers for an extended period of time, a lawsuit will be next step in the legal process. The filing of a lawsuit can add one or more years to the claims process, which we can explain to you in detail during a free case evaluation.

Time Limit on Accident Injury Cases

Please keep in mind that there is a deadline for all personal injury lawsuits, which is known as the statute of limitations. For an accident that was caused by a ceiling collapse, the time limit to file a claim is two years from the incident, i.e., the accident date. What happens if you are past the two-year window to sue the property owner or anyone else that’s liable for the accident? In that case, you will most likely lose the right to a lawsuit and the compensation you would normally be entitled to. That’s why it’s important to start the process for a collapsed ceiling accident claim as soon as possible.

Contact Our Law Firm

Justice for injury victims is our sole motivation for everything we do on behalf of our clients and their family members. We know how people’s lives are forever changed by an unexpected injury, especially from catastrophic accidents like ceiling collapses. We are fully committed to representing your interests and fighting for the maximum payment you deserve by law.

All clients at our law firm are protected by the Zero Fee Guarantee, which means you pay nothing out of pocket to retain our services. We charge all legal fees to the defendant and wait until the end of your case to receive payment. Since that’s the only way we get paid, you owe us $0 in the event we are unsuccessful in recovering your settlement award.

To discuss the legal process for a collapsed ceiling accident claim, contact our office to schedule a free consultation.

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