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Collapsing porches, stairwells, a premise liability issue in Boston

Four children were injured in Boston after the porch on a three-story house collapsed, sending them plummeting to the ground, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Landlords and property owners have an obligation to ensure the safety of their property. Boston’s older housing stock, combined with the weight of snow and the damage caused by the winter’s freeze-and-thaw cycles, can leave porches and outside stairwells susceptible to failure. When tenants or guests are injured on homeowner’s or landlord’s property, a Boston premise liability case may be brought to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.

This collapse occurred New Year’s Day and injured four children, including two 11-year-old girls, a 10-year-old-boy and a 7-year-old boy. All were transferred to Boston Medical Center.

A maintenance man said the third-floor porch collapsed into the second-floor porch, which then collapsed into the porch on the first floor. The children were on the top floor building a snowman when the porch collapsed from beneath them shortly after noon.

Cause of the collapse is under investigation by the Boston Inspection Services Department.

If you have been injured on business or landlord property in Massachusetts, contact Boston Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.

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