Who is Liable for a Ceiling Collapse Accident?

Were you injured after being struck by a falling ceiling tile or a collapsed ceiling? If you were at a restaurant, store, or rental unit, then you likely have a negligence claim against the property owner, who should have taken reasonable steps to prevent the accident from happening in the first place.

Who is Liable If Ceiling Tile or a Collapsed Ceiling Falls on Your Head?

Ceiling tiles don’t fall and ceilings don’t collapse in the absence of negligence. Someone is at fault. In the legal field, we call this “res ipsa loquitur” – “the thing speaks for itself.” A property owner has a duty to maintain its property in a safe condition. Failure to do so is considered negligence.

Liability for a ceiling collapse accident can rest on multiple parties, such as:

• Owner
• Property management company
• Construction company
• Maintenance workers

Oftentimes, the ceiling failure is due to neglected plumbing issues, which is unexpected by many. When this is the case, though, it means that even a plumbing company could be liable if their mistake led to the abrupt collapse of the ceiling or the loosening of a tile.

Importance of Gathering Evidence Early On

It is important to get a law firm involved as soon as possible after you are injured by a loose or damaged ceiling on someone else’s property. By hiring a premises liability attorney early, you will allow them to gather evidence before it becomes difficult – or in some cases, impossible – to find. With the right evidence in hand, an attorney can work to establish why the ceiling tiles fell and identify all responsible parties.

It is also important to take photos immediately after the incident. Photos of the ceiling, the material that fell, and your injuries will also be useful for your injury claim. If you can, keep the material that fell on you, rather than giving it to the property owner. Your lawyer might want to work with a construction expert or engineer to study the material and look for signs that tell why it fell. For example, if there are signs of water damage in the tile that fell on you, then it might indicate that a plumbing issue weakened it.

Call Our Ceiling Collapse Attorneys After an Accident

The premises liability attorneys of McGee Lerer Ogrin are experienced in handling cases and claims involving ceiling collapses, loose ceiling tiles, and other forms of ceiling failures. If you were hurt on someone else’s property in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area by a ceiling collapse, we want to hear from you. We have four convenient office locations, 24/7 availability, and devote our entire law firm to representing injured clients, so make us your first choice for legal counsel today.

Call us at (310) 231-9717 for a free consultation at any time.