A college party in central Connecticut took a turn for the worse when a third-floor porch collapsed, crashing down on the two porches below. While dozens of people were injured in the collapse, no one was killed and, miraculously, there were no life-threatening injuries.
Porch Collapses, Dozens Injured
The porch collapse happened at a party at Trinity College, a small university located in the south end of Hartford, Connecticut. A three-story house was the site of a “welcome back” party, where students at the school were celebrating their first weekend back on campus after summer vacation. Unlike most other college parties, though, this one was well organized, with the hosts notifying college administration of the event, and campus security officers even tagging the kegs that were to be used at the party.
Unfortunately, despite all of the precautions taken by the party’s hosts, things took a turn for the worse just after the party got underway.
At 11:15pm, the third floor porch gave way, tumbling onto the second floor porch. The impact dislodged the second floor porch from the side of the house, as well, dropping both onto the first floor porch, which collapsed under the new weight. While reports are unclear as to how many partygoers were on the third floor balcony at the time of its collapse, it does not appear that it was beyond capacity.
Students involved in the accident, however, suffered shockingly few injuries. There were many broken bones, bruises, and scrapes, but the worst injury of them all was a broken pelvis. In light of the extent of the damage, the lack of serious injuries is shocking. All but a couple of injured persons received treatment at the local hospital and were released within a couple days.
Premises Liability Claims Likely to Follow
If it is true that the porches were not being overfilled with partygoers, you can bet that a premises liability claim is likely to follow. Property owners are expected to keep their premises reasonably safe for visitors, and are held liable for deliberate or negligent oversights that end up causing someone else an injury. In this case, the house at issue was owned by Trinity College, itself, but was maintained by a property management company. The College refused to mention when the last building inspection had been.
Cobb County Premises Liability Lawyers
The medical expenses for an injury like a broken arm are high, and this number can balloon if surgery is required to make the arm heal properly. This cost should not fall on the innocent people who were hurt because someone else failed to ensure that the building was safe to use.
This is where premises liability attorney Joel Williams can help. By representing you in court, Williams Elleby Howard & Easter attorneys will fight for the compensation that you deserve.
