We rely on buildings to be safe. The last thing we expect is for a building to collapse suddenly. If it does, you need to know what to do first. Our Tampa personal injury lawyers explain what to do if you’re injured in a building collapse:
Table of Contents
Call Emergency Services
Follow Instructions From First Responders
Seek Medical Attention Right Away
Keep Medical Records
Follow Doctor’s Orders
Gather Information About the Collapse
Go Beyond the Headline
Identify Witnesses and Interested Parties
Learn the Law
Determine Who Is Responsible
Calculate Damages
Think Through Timelines
Pursue Your Case
Call Emergency Services
When a building collapse occurs, seconds matter. Contact emergency services as soon as you can. You may have serious injuries that you don’t realize. In addition, there may be others who need help. Summon first responders to the scene to help treat the injured and search for victims.
Follow Instructions From First Responders
As first responders secure the scene, they may have instructions for victims and bystanders. They need to prevent additional injuries and treat victims as effectively as possible. Be sure to listen and follow instructions from first responders, including evacuation of the site and leaving belongings behind.
Seek Medical Attention Right Away
Because of the weight of building materials, a collapse can cause catastrophic injuries. If there is any possibility that you have physical injuries, you should seek medical attention. Brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and other internal injuries may not always be visible. Medical attention could be critical to address injuries both large and small and put you on the path to recovery.
In addition to being vital to your care, medical attention establishes that you are a victim of the building collapse. It helps you prove causation between the accident and your injuries when filing your legal claim for compensation. You don’t want the defendants questioning whether your damages result from the accident, and medical attention immediately builds the evidence in your favor.
Keep Medical Records
Once you seek medical treatment, the records of your care are essential to document your injuries and the expenses associated with treatment. These records establish when you sought care and create a pattern of the medical attention you receive. You can rely on these records to document your injuries and value the damages associated with your care.
Follow Doctor’s Orders
While the party responsible for the accident must pay for damages, it’s up to you to follow your doctor’s care plan. You need to show that you’re serious about your recovery. If you fail to follow doctor’s orders for your treatment and you don’t receive appropriate follow-up care, it may lower the amount of your financial compensation for your claim.
Gather Information About the Collapse
When a building collapse occurs, you need to learn all that you can about why it happened. There may be news articles or online posts about the collapse. Save all of the information that you have. Your attorneys can use it to build on when they conduct an in-depth investigation.
Go Beyond the Headline
Even though news articles and public information are a great start, they don’t have the complete information that you need to file a legal claim. Filing a legal claim is going to require an investigation. You need to know why the collapse occurred.
There may be underlying causes that are not known or publicly reported. For example, a collapse may occur because the building cannot withstand its load. The underlying cause may be the engineers and architects who approved an improper building design. Going beyond the headline to investigate the claim can help you determine where to seek compensation.
Identify Witnesses and Interested Parties
Witnesses and other interested parties can provide valuable information for your claim. There may be eyewitness accounts of the collapse. Professionals who worked on construction or maintenance may be sources of critical records. Gathering a list of individuals and companies involved can help in your investigation.
Learn the Law
To file a lawsuit, it’s essential to know what you are suing for. You may bring a claim against an individual if they are legally responsible based on principles of negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct. There’s an implied legal obligation that those who design, construct and maintain a building must take reasonable steps to keep it safe.
To win your case, you must prove that the responsible party breached their duty of care and that you suffered injuries and damages as a result. Once you understand the law, you can proceed to file your claim.
Determine Who Is Responsible
When you bring a legal claim, you must name the responsible party or parties. Evaluating the actions of each party to determine legal fault can help you understand who to name as a defendant in the claim. Your attorney can assist you with the service of process and other steps needed to bring each party into the claim formally.
Calculate Damages
If you bring a legal claim for financial compensation, you need to know the dollar amount of how much to ask for in your claim. The value of your claim is personalized to you. The victim may claim an amount that is proportional to their losses. Damages may include both financial losses and pain and suffering. An attorney can help you calculate the appropriate amount for your case.
Think Through Timelines
There is a limited amount of time to seek financial compensation for a building collapse. In addition, the claim may require a significant pre-suit investigation. Don’t wait to begin filing your compensation claim. Your legal team can prepare legal documents and file your claim in the appropriate court.
Pursue Your Case””
The work doesn’t stop once you file your claim. In fact, it’s just the beginning. The victim builds the evidence in their favor. You must prove the damages that you deserve and present the evidence of fault. In addition, you must diligently negotiate an appropriate resolution or bring the claim to trial. An attorney can represent you through all steps of litigation.
Tampa Lawyers for Building Collapse Injuries
If you have been injured by a building collapse, contact our Tampa injury lawyers to see what you may receive in financial compensation. There is no cost to meet with our legal team, and we represent victims on a contingency basis with no upfront costs. Call or message us today to get started.