10 people were standing on an elevated deck in Laconia, New Hampshire on Saturday when it suddenly separated from the home and collapsed underneath them about 6 p.m. Our deck collapse injury attorneys note that the home where the deck collapsed was located at 44 Simpson Avenue. Those on the deck fell about 8 feet, and 7 people were injured. The injuries in the Laconia deck collapse reportedly varied from torn ligaments up to a severe leg injury.

Fire Lieutenant Chad Vaillancourt attributed the Laconia deck collapse to poor construction and rot. He mentioned that the deck was nailed to the home with 3-inch nails. But the building code required that decks be securely bolted to homes. He also said that the siding of the house was rotten, which could have led the deck to pull away from the home and fall. (Source: unionleader.com New Hampshire, 7/20/13)

The deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC wish the victims of the Laconia deck collapse rapid and complete recoveries from their injuries.

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Our report could help you build and maintain a safer deck. And help you understand the necessary steps to take if you or your loved ones are injured in a serious deck collapse accident. Download your free report today.

If you have questions after your specific deck collapse injury, don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE and confidential legal consultation to discuss the accident and evaluate your eligibility for a full financial recovery for your injuries. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. Reach our experienced deck collapse injury attorneys anytime through our online contact form or direct at 281-369-4363. Let us help you recover.

For a Safe Deck, Builders Must Use Bolts, not Nails, to Attach a Deck to a Home

Nails can’t safely carry the lateral loads a deck will need to support. Over time, nails will tend to loosen and pull out from the structure to which they’re attached, and the deck will separate from the home and collapse. A weak or missing ledger board connection also means that a deck won’t be securely attached to the home. Weak connections could allow moisture to seep into the home, leading to rot. Wood weakened by rot will also cause structural connections to corrode and loosen.

To ensure a strong connection between a deck and the home to which it’s attached, builders should use a strong ledger board protected by proper flashing to keep moisture out. And the connecting hardware should be lag bolts or through bolts. The deck collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC have cautioned before that builders should never use nails to attach a deck to a home; that’s an unsafe building practice.

If a deck collapses due to poor construction or failure to follow building codes, injured victims might be eligible to sue the builders and property owner for the full financial value of their injuries and losses. Click the link to learn more about how to safely attach a deck to a home.

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