On Christmas night about 7:30 p.m., parts of the façade on a 7-story residential building in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood collapsed to the ground in a mountain of rubble. The block-long O’Neill Building, which stands at 655 Sixth Avenue near 21st Street, had been converted from commercial space into luxury condos several years ago. (Source: newyork/cbslocal.com, 12/25/12)

An area on the first floor had been undergoing renovation for conversion into a restaurant. The structure, notable for its two recently restored golden domes, was originally built in 1887 as a department store on Manhattan’s “Ladies’ Mile” shopping district.

All of the buildings’ residents have been evacuated. The NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) is inspecting the building to determine the extent of damage to the old structure and whether it is safe for residents to occupy.

New York City Requires Building Owners with Building 6 Stories or Higher to have Periodic Professional Inspections made on the Facades

Our experienced attorneys for building collapse injuries point out that New York City, with its many old and historical buildings, has put in place a Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP). The Program requires owners of properties higher than 6 stories to have inspections performed every 5 years on the building’s exterior walls and attachments such as balconies. A Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector must perform the inspections. And the building owners must file technical façade reports with the DOB.

DOB records indicate that the façade was inspected as recently as February 2012 and said to be safe. So we wonder has something been done to the building since that time to cause the crumbling façade, or was the inspection inadequate?

Contact the Established Attorneys for Building Collapse Injuries: Contact Denena Points, PC to Report Injuries from a Sudden Structural Collapse

We urge you to contact us to report an injury from a building collapse right away. Reporting the injury helps the victim to get necessary medical treatment and helps ensure that building code enforcement authorities get the information they need to improve building safety and regulations.

Injuries from structural collapses can be life threatening and lead to permanent disabilities. The combination of fractures, dislocations, strains, lacerations, and internal trauma can be particularly complex and require expensive ongoing treatment and therapies.

Injured victims of structural collapses need the help of established attorneys for building collapse injuries to ensure that they obtain the full financial recovery to which they are entitled for their undeserved injuries. Contact the experienced attorneys for building collapse injuries at Denena Points, PC to report an injury. We offer a FREE, no obligation legal consultation to discuss the collapse accident and answer your questions. Reach us at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form.

Read More About Another Building Façade in NYC’s Chelsea Area Partially Collapses…