When an injury is sustained at someone else's house or rented property, it can be difficult to determine who, if anyone is at fault for the accident. In many cases, there may be multiple factors that suggest a variety of negligent behaviors led up to a serious injury or wrongful death.

Last year, a New Jersey man was seriously injured at a party when a deck collapsed and fell on top of him. A lawsuit has been filed that holds the homeowners, contracting firm and a group of other college students responsible for the accident.

According to reports, the young man was standing outside a garage entrance, underneath the deck. Suddenly, the deck detached from the house and came crashing down on the man below. There were six men on the deck when it collapsed. A few of them suffered injuries as well.

The deck was improperly maintained and defective, states the claim. Additionally, the homeowner never warned the tenants as to the danger of exceeding the deck's capacity. In fact, the capacity was never specified. Despite this, the tenants should have reasonably known that they were at risk of exceeding the weight allowed on the deck before it crashed.

The young man suffered a brain injury as a result of the accident. He also had bruises, cuts and headaches. The injuries have compromised his ability to work, and he has had difficulty attending school and holding a job. Because of this, the man is seeking $50,000 on each count of negligence.

The exact reason that the deck collapsed is not yet reported. Were the building materials or craftsmanship of poor quality? Did the homeowners fail to properly make any necessary improvements to the deck before renting it out to the tenants? Perhaps the partygoers who were crowded on the deck realized they were at risk of exceeding the weight capacity but did nothing to prevent the accident.

There may be multiple parties at fault for this accident. It will be interesting to see how this case develops. Whoever is found to be liable for the collapse may be required to pay the victim to reimburse for lost wages, medical bills as well as pain and suffering.

Source: The Times-Tribune, "Deck collapse leads to lawsuit," Jim Lockwood, Feb. 7, 2012