While structural failures are thankfully fairly rare in Reno and throughout most of the United States, they still happen from time to time for various reasons. Unfortunately, they also tend to result in serious and sometimes fatal injuries to many people at once, and it can be hard to know who even is to blame for such an accident in the immediate aftermath of one, let alone what your rights are when it comes to seeking financial recovery.
Fortunately, you have help available from an experienced Reno building collapse lawyer who knows how to handle cases like this in a proactive and effective manner. From investigating who holds civil liability for a particular collapse to demanding fair compensation for every form of harm the collapse will lead to you experiencing, your dedicated personal injury attorney could provide the support you need from start to finish of your unique claim.
Holding the Right People Liable for a Building Collapse
Filing a suit over a building collapse injury can be more complicated than other types of personal injury litigation. One of the main reasons is because of how complex structural failures usually are in physical terms. It is rare for any part of a building to collapse for solely one reason that can be traced back to just one person’s negligence. It is much more common for numerous factors and numerous potential defendants to play a role in causing a structural failure.
Through exhaustive research and discussions with subject-matter experts as well as eyewitnesses, a Reno building collapse attorney could help identify and build a strong civil claim against at-fault parties like:
- A supplier who provided subpar building materials
- Sub-contractors who provided unqualified construction labor
- A building owner who failed to keep up with regular maintenance
- An architect who drafted or signed off on flawed construction blueprints
- Government inspectors who did not notice or report dangerous structural flaws
- A construction company whose employees were negligent when constructing a building
Perhaps most importantly, legal counsel could help do all of this quickly, efficiently, and within applicable filing deadlines.
Recovering for Short- and Long-Term Losses
Depending on how widespread a structural failure is within an existing building, injuries suffered by people in or near the building during its collapse may range from minor cuts and bruises to life-altering or life-threatening blunt force trauma. This means that it is important when filing suit to account for both past and future damages that an injured plaintiff will suffer as a direct result of their injuries.
On the economic side, this can include:
- Emergency medical bills
- Expected costs of future rehabilitative and maintenance care
- Lost work income and earning capacity
- Various forms of personal property damage
Non-economic damages are subjective and, therefore, more challenging to assign an exact financial value to, but an experienced lawyer could help demand fair restitution for things like physical pain, mental distress, and lost quality of life following a building collapse in Reno.
Contact a Reno Building Collapse Attorney for Help
Being involved in an unexpected structural failure is one of the most uniquely frightening and potentially deadly experiences anyone in Nevada can have. If you were recently injured in this way, you likely have grounds to take legal action against everyone responsible for allowing the failure to occur. However, actually identifying them, let alone compelling them to pay you what you deserve, is never a simple or straightforward process.
Working closely with a Reno building collapse lawyer at Shook & Stone could dramatically improve your chances of securing a favorable case result that gets you the restitution you need. Call today for a free consultation.
