Community Center Allegedly Fails To Comply With Building Codes

Case Overview

This case involves an elderly woman who was severely injured at a local community center. The community center was hosting a small concert and because of the arrangement of the space, the building entrance was located near the area designated as the stage for the performers. The performers had placed instrument and equipment boxes in this area between the stage and the door because there were no alternative storage areas available. When the elderly woman entered the premise, she tripped over an instrument case and fell breaking her hip and fracturing both wrists. It was alleged that this property, and specifically the placement of equipment blocking doors and entrances, violated numerous local and county building codes.

Questions to the Civil Engineering expert and their responses

Please briefly describe your knowledge of the relevant building codes for this scenario.

I am a licensed building inspector and code enforcement officer. I do a considerable amount of work for the county and often work with the health department. In this instance, it will be helpful to inspect any photographs of the site and perform a thorough inspection to determine if the structure was indeed out of compliance with the relevant codes.

About the expert

This expert earned his BS in Civil Engineering from Union College and has over 30 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer in New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. He is also a certified water operator in New York and a building inspector/code enforcement officer. The expert spent nearly 27 years working for the firm McGoey, Hauser & Edsall Engineers before founding his own civil engineering consultancy. He has also previously been appointed the town/city engineer for 12+ municipalities in New York and Pennsylvania.