Syracuse, New York, Building Collapse and Structural Failure Lawyers

Building Collapses Almost Always Involve Overt Risk Factors, from Poor Design to Improper Maintenance and Outright Negligence. Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Super Lawyer and an American Institute of Trial Lawyers Litigator of the Year, is Committed to Protecting the Rights of Building Collapse Victims Across Central New York. Our Team of Highly Experienced Attorneys Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need to Reclaim Your Independence After Being Injured in a Syracuse Building Collapse.

Buildings do not have to be old or in poor repair to collapse.

Even modern buildings can be at risk when multiple unfavorable factors coincide. These risk factors encompass everything from bad weather to outright negligence, and they are involved in the collapse of dozens of homes, offices, and apartment complexes each year.

For victims and their families, the costs of recovery could easily seem insurmountable. Building collapses not only cause serious injuries, but they can also leave survivors with debt and without their homes, forcing them to rely on the generosity of an insurance company to make ends meet.

You do not have to bear the burden of a building collapse by yourself.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping families in Syracuse and across the region fight for their rights to a fair recovery. Read more to learn about building collapses in New York, or contact us today to speak to a personal injury lawyer and schedule your 100% free consultation as soon as possible.

A building collapse is the sudden and unexpected failure of a building's structural integrity.

Building collapses can be partial or total. The circumstances of a collapse can, in many cases, determine the severity of its impact both in terms of financial loss and the risk of injury to guests, visitors, and residents. Most building collapses are caused by the failure of a structure's internal load-bearing elements, which can be pushed beyond their limits by environmental factors or by deficiencies in design, installation, or maintenance.

Here is what you need to know about building collapses in Upstate New York:

Building collapses are relatively rare events.

Although few studies have been published on the frequency of building collapses in Syracuse, in New York, or in the United States, published reports broadly indicate the following:

1. Throughout an 11-year survey period, about 225 building failures were recorded nationwide;
2. Low-rise buildings, including businesses and single-family homes, constitute about 63% of all recorded collapses; and
3. In terms of building use, apartment complexes are the most likely types of structures to fail.

Although building collapses are uncommon, their consequences are often profound.

In 2023 alone, a series of catastrophic failures have rocked communities throughout the Empire State. Last February, for instance, New York City officials sanctioned a professional engineer after investigators found that he had overlooked obvious deficiencies in the façade of a Bronx building. These deficiencies are now believed to have contributed to a large collapse, which left dozens of families, an estimated 170 people in total, displaced.

Closer to home, in Syracuse, a building collapse on Carbon Street in the North Side left a dozen injured in June. According to the Syracuse Fire Department, the collapse was most likely precipitated by a previously undetected natural gas leak in the basement.

Building collapses often occur for reasons that are anything but apparent.

Consider the following:

1. In the Bronx building collapse, a professional engineer overlooked or misinterpreted signs of debilitating structural damage;
2. In the Carbon Street collapse, a family was inadvertently and unknowingly exposed to an uncapped natural gas leak; and
3. In 2023, the roof of the Great Northern Mall, located nearby in Clay, collapsed after being subjected to high winds and heavy rain.

In each of these recent instances of New York building collapses, a combination of different factors led to failure. Factors that range from apparent negligence to bad weather and poor design.

Taken together, researchers believe that the following types of events and deficiencies are most likely to precede catastrophic structural failures:

1. External events. External events are events that occur outside of the affected building. Examples of external events could include severe weather, accumulations of snow and ice, or vehicular impact.
2. Construction deficiencies. A construction deficiency occurs when a construction company or contractor fails to adhere to industry standards when constructing, renovating, excavating, or demolishing a structure.
3. Maintenance deficiencies. Maintenance deficiencies occur in existing buildings. Many maintenance deficiencies can be attributed to the property owner's or property manager's negligence.

You should not have to pay the price for a landlord's or property owner's negligence.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a building collapse that you believe could have been caused by negligent design, construction, or maintenance, you could be entitled to significant compensation for your losses. Please send the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a building collapse lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Although you may be entitled to compensation for your building collapse-related injuries, negotiating a fair settlement or preparing to take a case to trial could present a very daunting set of challenges.

Depending on the circumstances of your claim, you may be required to establish:

1. The property owner, or another defendant, was negligent;
2. The property owner’s negligence was the direct cause of the building collapse; and
3. The building collapse caused you to sustain serious physical injuries, severe economic loss, or both.

Establishing each of these elements could prove much more difficult than you may expect.

Building collapse lawsuits are often very difficult to litigate, in part because numerous parties from the building's original architect to the construction company and the current landlord may have contributed to the accident.

You do not have to take chances with your rights: the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you ensure that the right defendants are held accountable for your loss.

1. Investigate the causes of your building collapse;
2. Determine how your building collapse could have been prevented;
3. Consult expert witnesses to provide professional insight into the circumstances of your accident;
4. Identify the right defendant, or defendants, to hold liable for your losses; and
5. Leading settlement negotiations while preparing to take your case to trial.

A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, we know what it takes to build a compelling, evidence-based claim for compensation, and we have the results to prove it. Since our founding in 2005, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has helped our clients secure more than $250 million in damages.

We could help you, too.

Please send us a message online or call us at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a building collapse lawyer near Syracuse and schedule your 100% free consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm, P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!