Balconies, decks, elevated walkways, and exterior stair landings are designed to support people safely above ground level. At apartment complexes, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and other Georgia properties, visitors may use these structures without a second thought.
When a railing gives way, a deck collapses, or deteriorated flooring fails beneath someone, however, there may be little opportunity to react. A fall from even a modest height can cause catastrophic injuries. Determining why the structure failed can require looking well beyond what was visible on the day someone was hurt.
Structural Failures May Develop Long Before Someone Is Injured
A balcony or elevated walkway does not necessarily become dangerous overnight. Moisture exposure, heavy use, corrosion, aging materials, inadequate repairs, and deferred maintenance can gradually weaken structural components.
Potential problems may include:
- Loose or deteriorated railings.
- Rotted or weakened wood.
- Corroded metal connections and fasteners.
- Cracked or deteriorating concrete.
- Unstable stairs or landings.
- Inadequate structural supports.
- Improperly completed repairs or renovations.
- Components that cannot safely support expected loads.
A property may appear normal to a visitor even when deterioration is occurring beneath flooring, behind connections, or within structural materials.
Who Was Responsible for Recognizing the Danger?
After a structural failure, an important question is often whether warning signs existed before anyone was seriously hurt.
Property owners and occupiers may have responsibilities concerning the safety of areas used by lawful visitors. Depending on the circumstances, property management companies, maintenance contractors, builders, engineers, or other parties may also become relevant to an investigation.
Evidence of previous complaints, recurring repairs, visible deterioration, inspection findings, maintenance records, work orders, or earlier structural concerns can help reveal whether the danger was known or should reasonably have been discovered.
This is one reason these cases can require a broader investigation than simply photographing the location after the failure.
Falls From Height Can Cause Complex Trauma
When someone falls from a balcony, deck, or elevated walkway, the injuries may involve several parts of the body at once. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, fractures, internal injuries, and severe orthopedic trauma can require emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and extended time away from work.
Some people face permanent mobility restrictions or need assistance with daily activities. In the most devastating circumstances, a structural collapse or fall can be fatal.
Understanding the full impact of these injuries may therefore require evaluating not only immediate medical expenses, but also future treatment, lost earning capacity, long-term care needs, and other consequences.
The Condition of the Property Can Change Quickly
Once a structural failure occurs, repairs may begin rapidly. Workers may remove damaged materials, replace railings, rebuild flooring, or close and reconstruct the entire area. Those changes can make evidence preservation especially important.
At Ashby Thelen Lowry, our Atlanta personal injury attorneys investigate serious premises liability cases to determine the cause of a dangerous structure’s failure, whether warning signs existed earlier, and which parties may be responsible.
If you or someone you love suffered catastrophic injuries because a balcony, deck, elevated walkway, or similar structure failed on a Georgia property, call (404) 777-7771 or contact us online to discuss what happened and learn more about your legal options.