The building collapse injury lawyers at Denena & Points remark a startling structural collapse statistic out of India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in India, at least one person dies every day in Tamil Nadu due to a building collapse. In 2011, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of such fatalities (437) in South India, a region noted for alarmingly high building collapse fatality statistics. The high fatality rate from structural collapse is attributed to a combination of substandard building materials, poor building practices, and flawed building plans.

The NCRB data also shows that larger numbers of people die per building collapse in Tamil Nadu than in other parts of India. Our building collapse injury lawyers clarify that the 437 deaths in the state resulted from 285 structural collapses. In comparison, Andhra Pradesh lost 407 people in 397 incidents; Karnataka experienced 142 deaths from 140 accidents; and Kerala suffered 84 fatalities from 80 building collapses.

The 285 fatal structural collapses in Tamil Nadu related to 8 bridges, 71 residential complexes, and 206 unauthorized commercial buildings. Our building collapse injury lawyers note that even in Tamil Nadu, a state with a poor record for building safety, building constructed under proper authority and permits, following at least some minimal building code standards, apparently stand a far better chance of resisting collapse than the hastily built unauthorized structures.

In the city of Chennai, where laws provide that unauthorized, dangerous buildings should be razed for safety reasons, such laws are rarely enforced. Officials rarely take action against the owners of these buildings, and the unauthorized structures are often left standing until they collapse of their own accord, often with fatal results.

One member of  the court’s committee for monitoring building safety blamed the lack of legal action against unsafe buildings on corruption and political interference. Officials noted that many building approvals are granted without construction safety audits or fire audits. And a senior official clarified that staff shortages have prevented proper enforcement of applicable building codes in Chennai.

One builder based in Chennai was frank about the declining standards in construction quality. The builder pointed out the danger associated with the decline and fingered the use of untrained workers as part of the problem. He pointed out that as a building’s size increases, so do the numbers of its occupants. But corresponding safety measures to prevent loss of lives and property are often disregarded. (Source: Times of India, Christin Mathew Philip, 7/4/2012)

Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India represents a situation where booming population growth joined to a corresponding building boom and government budget, staff shortages have created an environment where shoddy and hasty building practices flourish, and safety considerations take a back seat to profits. Our building collapse injury lawyers remark that even the high numbers of structural collapse fatalities represent such a small fraction of the growing population that the outcry has not yet been strong enough to turn the tide on building safety enforcement.

Here in the U.S., we are fortunate that fatal building collapses remain rare and that building code enforcement remains relatively reliable. Yet as a spate of fatal accidents in New York City this past year reveals, safety concerns and safe construction practices are not always in place where they should be.

If you or a loved one receives injuries from a structural collapse, contact our experienced building collapse injury lawyers for a free legal consultation to discuss your problem. We are among the small handful of U.S. attorneys to have actual hands-on experience successfully handling structural collapse injury claims. Call us toll free at your convenience, or use our online contact features to reach us. We’re here to help when you need us.

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