Last night, a Columbia townhome deck
collapsed with several people on it.
Five people were injured in the accident when the wooden deck completely
detached from the back of the home.
Pictures of the scene show the entire deck intact with patio furniture
scattered about. The five people injured
luckily did not suffer life-threatening injuries. The cause of the collapse is still under
investigation.
Last
month, a report
was released identifying a staggering number of deck and balcony collapses
since 2003. The deadly balcony collapse
in Berkeley last month triggered a closer look at this deadly phenomenon. Approximately 6,500 people have been injured in
these deck collapses nationwide since 2003, with 29 of these people dying from their
injuries. Experts say one reason for
these collapses is due to the vulnerability of these structures to dry
rot. If dry rot is left untreated, these
decks and balconies become weak, which then increases the risk that the
structure’s support can fail and lead to a collapse. Dry rot of wood occurs when water gets into a
poorly ventilated area of the wood and is never repaired.
The deck involved in this Columbia collapse is
made of wood, which brings the possibility of dry rot as a cause of the
accident. Liability in this type of case
could fall on the builder of the townhomes or the property management company
if either party failed to regularly inspect the decks, especially if other
instances of decks collapsing exist and neither party rectified the problem.
If you or someone you
love has been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another person
or a failure to maintain safe premises please call us today at (301) 854-9000
to set up an appointment at one of our office locations located in Columbia
or throughout the rest of Maryland for a free case evaluation or visit us
online: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/Premises-Liability.shtml
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