Legal Help When Buying and Selling Property

Using Building Codes For Premises Liability

26 October 2019 by Louise Boyd

The purpose of building codes is to keep the public safe. Building codes touch on various aspects of construction such as electrical systems, waste disposal systems, ventilation, structural integrity, and dimensions, among other things.

Examples of Violations and Risks

A violation of a building code can easily lead to a bad accident. The nature of the risk or type of accident depends on the violation. Below are some of the common building code violations.

Handrail Issues

Handrails are meant to help people with frailties to navigate buildings, especially stairs, with ease. Missing handrails, handrails at the wrong height, and handrails that terminate improperly (don't turn and end at the wall) are common forms of building code violations.

Maintenance Issues

Maintenance problems can also cause safety issues, which mean they can also violate building codes. Examples include missing floor tiles that can cause trip and fall accidents, cracked walls that can fall on people, or detached gutters that can fall on anyone.

Dimension Issues

Entryways, emergency exits, and stairs should also be spacious enough so that they don't affect their user's safety. A small emergency exit, for example, can lead to trampling in case of an emergency, such as a fire outbreak.

What to Do

The above are just a few examples of building code violations; there are many more. Whatever violation causes your injury, there are a few common things you can do in pursuit of your compensation.

Report the Accident

Whenever you are injured on another person's premises, the first thing you should do is to report the injury (assuming you are well enough to do that). A written report is best since it can easily be kept for future reference.

Preserve Evidence

It's also advisable to preserve any evidence on the injury. This includes taking pictures of the accident scenes, preserving torn clothing or damaged shoes, and taking contacts of potential witnesses.

Seek Medical Care

Seeking prompt medical care is the best way to get your health back on track and prevent medical complications. A secondary benefit of prompt medical care is that it helps you get evidence (in the form of medical records) and mitigate your damages.

Contact Code Enforcement Officials

If you suspect that a violation of a building code triggered your accident, then you should also report the suspected violation to the code-enforcement officials. In some cases, you may find that the officials have received similar complaints from other people. Whatever the case, the officials will visit the building to perform an inspection.

Track the Violation Resolution

Make a follow-up with the inspection officials after making your report. If the inspectors confirm your suspicions of code violation, then you can use their condemnation as evidence of negligence on the part of the building's owner or management.

For more information, contact a local personal injury lawyer.

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