Another Sudden Construction Site Collapse Injures Pflugerville Worker | DENENA | POINTS

Another Sudden Construction Site Collapse Injures Pflugerville Worker

Tuesday afternoon, a truck delivering supplies to a building site reportedly struck the framing of the construct, causing it to collapse. A construction crew had been working on the roof trusses at the Heatherwilde Professional and Medical Center in Pflugerville, and when one fell after the truck hit the building, the rest came down in what was described as a domino effect. (myfoxaustin.com, 3/25/14)

One Pflugerville worker was trapped in the collapse underneath the timber, but managed to extract himself. He received transport to the hospital with injuries reported as non-life threatening. (kvue.com, 3/25/14) We wish him a safe and rapid recovery from the accident.

Roof and Building Collapses during the Construction Phase are Frequent

Our Texas construction collapse injury attorneys have written several posts on the frequency of structural collapses while buildings are still under construction as well as when they’re undergoing demolition. The accidental roof truss collapse in Pflugerville can help demonstrate the importance of placing strong temporary bracing during the construction phase as well as of properly calculating the loads that the trusses must support. Though we mention that even the best bracing and the most precise calculations can’t necessarily account for the force of an impact caused by a negligent delivery driver who runs into the structural framing.

Experts warn against loading trusses and roofs under construction with building materials and equipment. Loading stacks of building materials atop partially completed roofs for construction worker convenience is a common practice in the industry, but can drastically overload the supporting structures past their intended live and dead loads. This practice was recently blamed for the collapse of several stories of a high-rise residential tower being built on Stuart Street in Boston.

Our Texas construction collapse injury attorneys point out that truss placement in a building under construction requires trained and skilled crewmembers to build a sound and sturdy roof system. Trusses are triangular elements that can provide very strong structural support in a finished building. When loaded, a triangular truss can transfer the force of its load around the three sides of the triangle while allowing only limited movement or change of shape in the structural element.

The “dead” load that a truss must support is the weight of the structure itself. The “live”

load it supports can be anything from workers on the roof to heavy rains or winter snowfalls. Other forces, like high winds and earthquakes, can reverse the forces usually applied to a truss. Good designers and engineers account for the performance of their truss structures under even these rare occurrences. Though they can’t always anticipate such things as careless truck drivers who might drive into the building supports.

Contact our Board Certified Texas Construction Collapse Injury Attorneys when You need Help after a Serious Injury

In a sudden roof truss collapse like that in the building under construction in Pflugerville, serious or fatal injuries could easily result. If you’ve been injured in a building collapse, learn about your options for winning fair financial compensation from those responsible for causing your injury.

Contact our experienced Texas construction collapse injury attorneys at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule a FREE, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss your injury and potential eligibility for a full financial recovery. The Board Certified personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC have a more than 12-year track record of helping clients succeed in their injury claims against builders, manufacturers, careless drivers, and other negligent parties.