Dan Uggla Deck Rail Collapse: Causes, Costs and Consequences

Dan Uggla Deck Collapse Lawsuit: Deck Collapse Attorney & Balcony Collapse Attorneys

Dan Uggla Deck Rail Collapse: Causes, Costs and Consequences

Charles Grogan probably wishes that he just hadn't leaned upon that deck rail at Dan Uggla's home. Dan Uggla, 2nd Baseman for the Atlanta Braves, purchased the home in Franklin, TN in the autumn of 2010 at a cost of approximately $1.05 million. I think it's fair to say that when a person pays that much for a home, he probably expects it to be in good condition. He has a right to expect that his new purchase won't immediately lead to his friend's catastrophic injury and, ultimately, a lawsuit for $5 million. But we don't always get what we pay for.

No matter how costly the home, it's entirely possible that someone cut corners somewhere down along the line. News reports don't delve into the cause of the deck rail collapse at Dan Uggla's home that injured Charles Grogan. So from this distance, we can only speculate. Was the cause of the deck rail collapse:

* A design flaw?
* Poor materials?
* Use of nails where they should've used bolts to connect the rail?
* Age and weathering of the structure?
* Poor maintenance?
* A less than thorough home inspection that could've caught the danger before it materialized?

Building authorities say that weak connections are the usual causes of deck collapse incidents. While the news reports say that Dan Uggla bought the home about a year ago, they don't specify the age of the home when he bought it. Maybe a combination of poor construction and building materials weakened by age and weather caused the deck rail collapse. Charles Grogan's lawsuit indicates that he believes the builder and the home inspector to have been negligent. From this distance, I would say that circumstances might corroborate Charles Grogan's belief. As an experienced deck collapse attorney, I would be combing the evidence and debris from the deck rail collapse right now for:
* Evidence regarding how the rail was connected to the deck,
* Warped, weathered or corroded materials, and
* The actual findings of the home inspection report,
* Among other things.

No one should receive life-threatening injuries and life long disabilities simply from a moment's enjoyment on an unstable deck. No one should die from a balcony collapse or a deck failure either. But these injurious collapses happen with sad regularity. Perhaps the only way to reduce the number of such harmful incidents over time is to make sure that we hold accountable those responsible for the disasters. Holding people accountable for harmful negligence is part of my job. I take it seriously. My hope is that by holding people accountable for their negligence, we can prevent similar negligence in the future and the devastating accidents that result from it.