What causes a deck to fall off of an apartment building and collapse? | DENENA | POINTS

There are lots of reasons that a deck might pull away from a house or apartment building and then collapse. Our deck collapse attorneys point out that many decks are poorly constructed, don’t get inspected, and might also be poorly maintained. Probably the main reason more decks don’t fall off more often and injure people is because decks rarely come close to bearing the full weight loads for which they were designed. Some of the primary causes behind deck collapse include:

  •  Connecting the deck to the apartment building or house with nails instead of bolts. Nails will pull out and take the deck along with them.
  • Connecting the deck to the main building with bolts that are too small or too short.
  • Failing to anchor the bolts properly.
  • Corrosion of the connecting hardware holding the deck onto the building and holding the parts of the deck together. You should know that some modern wood treatments that help preserve a deck’s wood longer would also corrode the hardware faster.
  • Setting the deck upon support posts that are too widely spaced, too flimsy, or not properly connected to support the deck load.
  • Rotting or splintering wood.
  • Weak or improperly attached railings that give way and lead to falls and injuries.
  • Using weak or partial ledger boards between the deck and the main building.
  • Failing to connect the deck ledger board to the main building’s band joist. Our deck collapse attorneys note that the ledger might appear to connect when in fact it does not because the band joist has already started to pull away from the main building.

When decks collapse, the people that were on the deck at the time can suffer very serious, even fatal, injuries. Some of the worst injuries occur to people standing underneath elevated decks at the time they collapse. The victims might have permanent disabilities that require ongoing care and incur mounting medical expenses.

 Learn more about how to build a safer deck. Click here to read this article from the deck collapse attorneys at Denena Points, PC. You can also download our free report on deck and balcony collapse issues and what to do in the aftermath by clicking on the book icon on this web page.

Contact the Deck Collapse Attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a Free Legal Consultation if You’ve been Injured

 If you or a loved one were injured by a collapsing deck and you need help determining what to do and how to obtain fair financial compensation after the accident, don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE, no obligation legal consultation. Our experienced deck collapse attorneys have successfully represented people from across the nation on complex structural collapse cases. We’re among the handful of attorneys to have actual, hands on experience with such claims. Reach us direct at 281-369-4363 or just fill out our online contact form. We’re here to help when you need us.