Playing the Blame Game in the Fatal Philadelphia Building Collapse

Weeks after a building undergoing demolition collapsed through the roof of the neighboring Salvation Army Thrift Store and killed 6 people, only one person, the operator of a piece of excavating equipment, has been clearly tasked with responsibility for the deadly building collapse accident. Our building collapse injury attorneys note that this man was being held without bail in jail. And an inspector who signed off on the building’s demolition order was found dead of a gunshot wound to the chest.

But the building owner, the contractor in charge of the demolition, and city officials who let construction and demolition projects proceed in Philadelphia under an apparently lax hand: all seem to be escaping blame in the deadly building collapse accident.

The Philadelphia City Solicitor has already declared that the City will be free of liability in the incident under the doctrine of sovereign immunity. (Source: Mike Dunn, CBS Philadelphia, 6/19/13) But if cities and other government entities freely escape liability when they neglect public safety, what means exist to help the citizens avoid the deadly effects of runaway corruption, graft, and neglect?

The building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC mention that demolition contractor Griffin Campbell is trying to deflect the blame onto the Salvation Army Thrift Store, whose shoppers and employees suffered so much harm in the deadly building collapse accident. He’s saying he couldn’t get permission to erect scaffolding on the building’s roof, or get access to the roof. (Source: Jared Shelly, Philadelphia Business Journal, 6/17/13)

Our building collapse injury attorneys are not sure how the presence of scaffolding would have helped avert the fatal consequences of the shoddy demolition practices that brought the building caving through the Salvation Army roof. Taking out the roof altogether is definitely not the right way to gain access.

Philadelphia city officials have an opportunity to step up and correct the lax practices and procedures and the oversights that led to the fatal Philadelphia building collapse. Our building collapse injury attorneys suggest that they should take the problems of poor construction and demolition practices in hand and use the opportunity to correct them for the sake of all the citizens of their city.

Click the link to read about the blame game going on in relation to a high profile deck collapse in Florida that occurred during a Miami Heat game.

Know the Lifespan of an Outdoor Deck and What to do if it Collapses

The deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC realize that most people take deck safety for granted. They assume when they step out onto a friend’s deck at a BBQ, their own deck attached to their home, or the deck of a popular sports bar, that the deck will safely hold their weight. But that’s not always true.

Decks that look strong and sturdy could contain hidden weaknesses like rot, corrosion, split timbers, design flaws, poor materials, or construction defects. And given the right concentration of weight load and movement, that deck could come tumbling down with everything and everyone that’s on it at the time. People could receive serious or even fatal injuries in the collapse or trapped in the debris.

Our deck collapse injury attorneys emphasize that outdoor structures like decks, balconies, and porches receive continuous exposure to all extremes of weather. And some climates, like the hot, humid environment of the southern U.S. coastline, take a greater toll on these structures and age them much faster than more temperate climates.

The Average SAFE Lifespan of an Outdoor Deck is not as Long as You Might Think

Wooden decks on average have a safe, useful lifespan of 15 to 20 years. That’s if they were well built using proper materials, hardware, connections, and construction techniques. And more than half of the millions of decks in the United States have already reached or exceeded that 15 to 20 year lifespan.

Estimates indicate that fewer than half of these existing U.S. decks comply with applicable building codes and standards. Our deck collapse injury attorneys note that these building codes and standards are only minimal safety standards. They do not by any means represent the highest standards of safety that could be achieved.

In a recent 7-year period, the rate of reported deck collapses in the United States increased by over 20% each year. The current year has already seen a number of startling deck collapses with serious injuries. The summer season, one of the peak periods for deck collapses, was barely underway before the deck of a popular Miami area sports bar, Shuckers, collapsed with about 100 people on it cheering a Miami Heat game. The heat on the deck was quickly quenched as the collapse sent 100 sports bar guests tumbling into the waters of Biscayne Bay nearly 10 feet below. Click the link to learn more about the horrific injuries in the Shuckers deck collapse.

Learn Your Rights to Financial Compensation if You or Your Loved One are Injured by a Deck Collapse

If property owners or operators have been negligent in maintaining deck safety and the deck collapses, injured guests who have been needlessly harmed as a result of their lack of care could have rights to financial compensation. If you or a loved one were harmed by a deck collapse and you have questions about how neglected deck safety might affect your claim for fair financial compensation, contact the experienced deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a free and confidential initial legal consultation.

You have no obligation to hire an attorney, and our deck collapse injury attorneys could help you understand your legal options and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery for your injuries. We have more than 12 years of experience successfully helping injured clients and their family members achieve fair financial recoveries after accidents similar to yours. Call us at 281-369-4363 or by fill out our online contact form to obtain your FREE legal consultation.

What could the Philadelphia Inspector have told us about the Collapse?

On Wednesday, June 12th, 52-year-old Ronald Wagenhoffer, a veteran building inspector with the City of Philadelphia, was reportedly found dead in his truck with a gunshot wound to the chest area. Our building collapse injury attorneys note that news accounts of the tragedy called the gunshot wound self-inflicted. (Source: Associated Press by way of Fox News, 6/13/13)

Mr. Wagenhoffer had apparently been with the City’s Department of Public Property for 16 years and had worked his way up to the rank of building inspector. According to reports, Ronald Wagenhoffer had looked at the collapsed Market Street building several weeks before it fell. He had signed off on the order to demolish the building. When the building collapsed during shoddy demolition work, it fell into the adjacent Salvation Army Thrift Store killing 6 innocent shoppers and employees and injuring 13 more people.

Apparently citizens had been complaining about the building, which led ultimately to the demolition. Whether those complaints were due to safety or some other reason was unclear to our building collapse injury attorneys. While there seem to have been a lot of safety failures all around that led to the Market Street building collapse, it doesn’t appear that Mr. Wagenhoffer himself had done anything wrong.

Two Philadelphia Demolition Projects Gone Wrong

The City’s Department of Licensing and Inspection (L&I) has been saying that the Market Street building was structurally sound and not in danger of collapse prior to the demolition. L&I seems to be taking pains to contrast the fatal Market Street demolition disaster with the shoddy demolition done work some months earlier at Elena’s Soul Lounge where demolition workers also caused the building’s walls to collapse onto adjacent buildings.

The main contrast with the Market Street tragedy actually seems to be that Elena’s was being demolished because it had burned and become unstable, and so the adjacent buildings were evacuated at the time Elena’s collapsed onto them. The building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that the City, after permitting shoddy demolition work to destroy Elena’s neighboring buildings, then reportedly gave those building owners 30 days to repair or tear down their structures. Adding insult to injury. But in those cases, not fatal injury, fortunately.

So what exactly is going on in the City of Philadelphia? And is it really much different from what is going on in other cities?

Current L&I procedures apparently do not require demolition contractors to demonstrate any real qualifications for the job; demolition workers are not screened or backgrounded; and dangerously unsafe demolition practices are routine.

Perhaps Ronald Wagenhoffer could have clarified some of the safety and procedures failures that led to the Market Street building collapse. Now we will never know. And Griffin Campbell, the demolition contractor described as having a criminal record but little or no demolitions qualifications, and Richard Basciano, the “porn king” building owner, do not seem to be drawing much blame for the deadly Market Street building collapse. Only Sean Benschop, the equipment operation who was allegedly “high” on marijuana at the time had been charged for the deadly demolition disaster. Click the link to read more about the true tragedy of the Market Street building collapse.

Is Your Local Bridge Falling Down? On Failing U.S. Infrastructure

The U.S. government inspects and tracks infrastructure to prioritize repairs and replacement efforts. And our structural collapse injury attorneys note that the government’s inspections have indicated that 1 out of every 9 bridges in the United States are currently “structurally deficient” or just plain not in good shape.

The approximately 67,000 U.S. bridges designated structurally deficient, while not necessarily in imminent danger of collapse, require load limits and other restrictions in order to be suitable for continued use. For instance, the recent collapse of the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River near Seattle was blamed in part on an oversized load.

Our structural collapse injury attorneys point out that many bridges are “fracture critical” and do not have any structural redundancy. If any structural support fails, the whole bridge collapses. Such was the case with the I-5 bridge near Seattle and the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, the collapse of which killed 13 people and injured over 100 more. (Source: Brian Naylor, Utah Public Radio, 6/1/13)

Other bridges are designated “functionally obsolete.” These older bridges do not meet current design standards. Their lanes may narrower than on current bridges. Or the bridge may have low overhead clearance. 18-wheelers regularly get stuck under such bridges when trucking route planners don’t take proper note of all clearance heights.

Much of the U.S. infrastructure (and also the Canadian infrastructure) is aging. But replacing and rebuilding is expensive. Carbon nanotube fibers are being added to some bridges to help keep tabs on their structural soundness and also strengthen their supports. But a solution that will ensure the continuing safety of our transportation infrastructure continues to elude government officials, transportation experts, and scientists alike. So drive carefully.

Contact the Structural Collapse Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC if You or Your Loved Ones have been Hurt in a Collapse Accident

We provide a free, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss your accident. And our more than 16 years of experience successfully resolving complex injury cases could help you understand your legal options and potential for a full financial recovery for your needless injuries. Call us at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free legal consultation, and let us help you recover.

Miami Deck Collapse: Wooden Decks have an Average Lifespan of 20 Years

Or even Less than 20 Years. Decks Should be Inspected at Least Once per Year for Safety and Needed Repairs

Our deck collapse injury attorneys note that authorities have said it’s unclear when the collapsed deck of Shuckers Waterfront Grill was last inspected, but that they will be checking records to try and find out. They also said that their limited staff numbers mean that they leave deck safety for such venues largely up to the owners and operators of the places.

Shuckers boasts that it had been open more than 20 years. And its deck was apparently a very popular spot to gather. One Miami Heat coach even mentioned that he regularly went to Shuckers Waterfront Grill. Our deck collapse injury attorneys ask: had the deck been inspected or maintained since it was built perhaps more than 20 years ago?

The owners and operators of Shuckers had a duty to regularly inspect and maintain the deck to ensure the safety of their guests. Collapse of the deck meant that patrons would be falling into Biscayne Bay. So our deck collapse injury attorneys emphasize that it was especially important to ensure that the deck was safe, sturdy, and not overcrowded. Some patrons like the elderly or young children in the arms of their parents would be especially vulnerable in such a collapse.

If the owners and operators of Shuckers Waterfront Grill have been negligent in maintaining their deck safety, those patrons who were injured on Thursday night have been needlessly harmed as a result of their lack of care. If you were injured in the deck collapse at Shuckers and have questions about how neglect of deck safety might affect your claim for fair financial compensation, contact our experienced deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC at 281-369-4363 or by filling out our online contact form.

Auburn University Montgomery Deck Collapse Injures 3 Workers

Summer is traditionally the season when news headlines frequently report wooden deck collapses. Most often, these are the wooden decks attached to homes and apartments. And our deck collapse injury attorneys point out that the costly deck collapses usually occur during BBQs and other gatherings.

The wooden deck collapse at Auburn University Montgomery was the wooden deck attached to a cleaning trailer. 3 custodial workers were on it when it collapsed shortly before 5 on Thursday morning. The wooden deck connected the cleaning trailer with the Building Services annex.

Our deck collapse injury attorneys note that the three maintenance workers fell about 5 feet through the collapsing deck as one worker exited the building and another started to enter it. Two of the custodial workers received transport to the hospital for possible leg fractures and the third worker suffered knee and ankle injuries. (Sources: Scott Johnson, The Montgomery Advertiser: and Rosanna Smith, WSFA.com, 6/6/13)

Wooden decks should be inspected at least once a year for:

• Rot, splits, or weakening in the wood;
• Corrosion or loosening of the connecting hardware; and
• Instability.

The deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that any needed maintenance should be performed at once before the deck is used again. A sudden deck collapse could cause severe injuries or fatalities for which the property owner that had neglected to inspect or maintain the deck might find themselves financially liable.

To avoid costly liabilities, property owners should frequently inspect and make repairs to their wooden decks or other outdoor structures. In general, wooden decks have a lifespan of 20 years or less before they need replacement. Hot and humid climates, seaside climates with salt air and humidity, and climates with extreme winters tend to age wooden decks faster then more temperate climates.

Learn more about the causes of costly deck collapses

Click the book icon on this page to download your FREE guide that provides information on how to prevent costly deck collapses, and what you should do if you suffer injury because of a collapsed deck. If you have questions about your specific injuries, don’t hesitate to contact the deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a FREE, no obligation initial legal consultation. We could discuss the circumstances of your accident and evaluate your potential eligibility for financial compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. We’re available at 281-369-4363 or just fill out our online contact form to reach us. We never charge any attorneys’ fees unless we win your financial compensation claim for you, so there’s no financial risk to you.

The True Tragedy of the Deadly Philadelphia Building Collapse

The building collapse attorneys at Denena Points, PC update earlier posts to report that rescue efforts reportedly have concluded at the Market Street site of the deadly Philadelphia building collapse. 6 victims have been pronounced dead. At least 13 people were injured in the Center City collapse and one of them remains in critical condition.

The true tragedy of this deadly Philadelphia building collapse is that the fatally injured victims were in no way associated with the building that fell. They were innocent employees and shoppers at the Salvation Army Thrift Store next door. In both shopping and working at the store, they were helping others.

For one of the employees, Wednesday tragically marked both the first and last day on the job. A new job in these difficult economic times is usually something to celebrate and represents new hope for a person and their family. But for one family, our building collapse attorneys relate that a new job now represents tragedy.

Those fatally injured in the tragic Philadelphia building collapse have been identified as:

• Borbor Davis, employee, 1 day on the job
• Kim Finnegan, employee
• Anne Bryan, shopper and first-year arts student
• Roseline Conteh, shopper
• Juanita Harmin, shopper
• Mary Simpson, shopper

The thoughts and prayers of the building collapse attorneys at Denena Points, PC are with the families and friends of the deceased victims and with the injured victims of the tragedy at this time.

When the 4-story Market Street building that had been undergoing demolition suddenly fell, one of its walls fell through the roof of the Salvation Army Thrift Store, burying shoppers and employees in the rubble. Information available to date indicates that the wall fell and the fatal Center City collapse occurred because of unsafe demolition practices and failure to shore up and brace remaining walls and structural members as pieces of the building were removed.

In our years of experience, our building collapse attorneys have seen that failure to properly brace buildings during construction or demolition is one of the primary reasons for their collapse. The magnitude of this tragedy at the Salvation Army Thrift Store and the negligent demolition practices that brought it about are not short of appalling.

Much is being written now about the criminal record of the contractor in charge of the demolition and about the business history as a “porn king” of the owner of the building. (Sources: NBC 10 Philadelphia by way of Dylan Stableford, Yahoo News, The Lookout; Peter Loftus and Eliot Brown, The Wall Street Journal; and Newsworks WHYY; 6/6/13)

Click the link to read more about the deadly Philadelphia building collapse and witness statements implicating unsafe demolition practices as a cause of the tragedy.

Firefighter Fatalities and the Danger of Structural Collapses in Fires

The Houston structural collapse attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that 2011 was the third consecutive year in which the number of firefighter fatalities dropped significantly. With 61 firefighters who perished on the job in 2011, that number and the total for 2010 actually represented the two lowest numbers of firefighter deaths since the NFPA started making annual surveys in 1977. (Source: Rita F. Fahy, Paul R. LeBlanc, and Joseph L. Molis, NFPA Journal, July/August 2012)

The average number of firefighter deaths in a single year is 91. Becoming entrapped by structural collapses from burning buildings represents the single greatest risk to firefighters on the job. Another significant proportion of firefighter fatalities results from cardiac arrests suffered during or after an incident or in training.

For firefighters, the greatest dangers of structural collapse are related to residential fires. The number of fatalities from residential structural collapses has risen precipitously in the last three decades, faster than any other cause of firefighter deaths. When firefighters are trapped by collapsing walls, roofs, or debris, they might suffer head injuries, internal traumas, burns, or run out of air and succumb to asphyxiation.

Most Fatal Day for the Houston Fire Department

Yesterday, the Houston Fire Department suffered its single most fatal day in its 118-year history. 4 firefighters died when a roof collapsed on the burning Southwest Inn and 13 other firefighters were injured in the 5-alarm fire. One of the fallen firefighters had only been out of the training academy and on the job a month when she lost her life to the deadly structural collapse. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Witnesses reported hearing several explosions after the fire started. The hearts and prayers of our Houston structural collapse attorneys remain with the families of the fallen firefighters as well as with the injured firefighters as they recover.

Click the link to read more about the deadly structural collapse during the fire at the Southwest Inn in Houston.

Hazards of Burning Residential Building Collapses to U.S. Firefighters

Our building collapse injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC have discussed before how structural collapses during a fire present the greatest risks of fatal injury for firefighters on the job. Collapses can occur inside the building while the firefighter is conducting interior firefighting operations. Fatal collapses can also happen while firefighters are outside and walls or pieces of the façade fall on them.

Data from the U.S. FA reveals that the numbers of firefighters suffering fatal injury from residential building collapses have tripled since the 1980s. This increase has occurred even while the overall number of firefighter deaths on the job have decreased. Our building collapse injury lawyers point out that part of the reason might be the prevalence of modern “light” construction methods, which give very little margin for escape once a fire has started.

• Poor materials and construction methods,
• Inadequate spacing of joists, trusses, and support members,
• Poor connections between structural members, and
• Illegal, non-permitted, or “do-it-yourself” renovations also add to the residential building collapse dangers faces by firefighters during a blaze.

In addition, the weight of water used in fighting a fire adds to the load stress on a structure. And operations to ventilate the structure of smoke and/or heat may result in the cutting of critical structural support members.

Thorough risk assessment before sending firefighters into an interior or on advance hose operations, as well as setting up adequate collapse zones could help prevent serious or fatal injuries to firefighters during a blaze. But it isn’t always possible to predict when or where a building or wall collapse might occur. And when they happen, multiple firefighters might suffer injury of death.

Becoming trapped and asphyxiated, becoming disoriented inside a building, running out of air, and being struck by a falling object are just some of the serious hazards firefighters face in fighting a blaze. Click the link to read about the collapse of a burning wall during a fire in Detroit that injured two firefighters.

Contact the Experienced Building Collapse Injury Lawyers at Denena Points, PC if a Structural Collapse harmed you or Your Loved One

Our 16 years of experience in the field could help guide you in making informed choices for your family after a structural collapse has hurt you or a family member. We provide a free and confidential initial legal consultation to discuss your case and evaluate your options for a fair financial recovery for the needless harm you’ve suffered. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And our veteran building collapse injury lawyers don’t charge attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you, so there’s no financial risk. Call us at 281-369-4363 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.

When Trains Collide and Bridges Collapse, 7 Injured in Missouri

Early on Saturday, Union Pacific and BNSF freight trains collided and derailed in southeast Missouri near Scott City. One train T-boned the other, causing it to derail. The derailed train struck a support pillar for a highway overpass, causing the Highway M Bridge to collapse. In addition, diesel fuel from one of the train’s engines ignited a fire. 2 people from the trains and 5 people from cars that had been on the collapsed Highway M Bridge received injuries from the crash. (Source: Patrick Garrity, NBC News, 5/25/13)

Could it be that major train collisions and bridge collapses are becoming more frequent? Only a week ago, our structural collapse injury lawyers note that a commuter train derailed and collided with another train in Connecticut, injuring over 70 people and disrupting commute rail traffic since. A definitive cause has not yet been established, but investigators indicate that cracked rails could be to blame.

And just yesterday, our structural collapse injury lawyers wrote about the collapse of the I-5 Bridge over the Skagit River near Seattle, which sent several vehicles and their occupants plunging into the river below. Click the link to read about the collapse of the I-5 Bridge over the Skagit River in Washington.

Our structural collapse injury lawyers caution that combination of aging infrastructure, increased traffic, and a poor economy that leads to lesser maintenance and replacement of aging structures creates a recipe for bridge collapse and building collapse disaster. Add to that the current trend for “light” construction based on precise, but frequently inaccurate, computer modeling, and you have structural collapse accidents waiting to happen.

Structural Collapse Injury Lawyers: Always a FREE, No Obligation Initial Legal Consultation

As the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh makes very clear, structural collapses can easily cause severe injuries, permanent disabilities, or death. Your ability to obtain a full financial recovery for your needless injuries from an unexpected structural collapse rests on accurate identification of the causes of the collapse and the liable parties behind those causes. Your recovery also depends upon your ability to effectively prove your case. Proof in structural collapse cases tends to be highly technical. You need an experienced structural collapse injury lawyer to help you meet your burden of proof.

Contact the veteran structural collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC. We’re available at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form. Let us put our solid track record of success and hands-on practical experience with collapse injury cases to work for you.