Construction work causes cracks to apartment buildings

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Residents of two apartment buildings were forced to evacuate their premises after nearby building construction apparently compromised the structure of each of these buildings. Large cracks from top-to-bottom of the building were sufficient for the fire department to order everyone out. Residents of the building stated that these cracks were getting worse over time due to the ongoing construction that was occurring nearby. Fortunately, the work being done did not result in a construction accident that caused physical injury. Premises liability lawsuits frequently do come about because party or parties damage a building's structure in such a manner that portions of the building give way. Occurrences like this are especially prevalent in states like New Jersey and New York where a large portion of the population lives in urban areas. In the rush to finish up on various construction projects, the long term consequences of building activities are not often sufficiently studied before such projects are performed. Unfortunately, the consequences of structural damage frequently results in more than a simple evacuation of an apartment building. Sometimes, structural defects brought about by construction activities can result in building collapses causing severe and sometimes fatal injuries. Premises liability attorneys generally have the resources to make determinations as to how a building collapse came about. Attorneys also understand that a number of parties could all be held accountable to injuries that occur on a particular premise. In the above matter, city inspectors had received a number of complaints and issued at least five violations - some including the failure to monitor construction vibrations. Construction companies cannot afford to ignore complaints, citations or warnings without consequence. Source: ABC Local, "Bushwick construction accident forces out residents," by Joe Torres, August 16, 2012