CESI’s Premises Liability experts have the in-depth skills and years of experience in building design and construction to assist in all aspects of your case from investigation to testimony.

ADA law prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities.  Our ADA Compliance experts can determine if a component of a building or public walkway (such as depressed curb ramps, accessible routes and parking stalls) provides safe access for pedestrians with disabilities.  Each of our ADA compliance experts has years of experience and a comprehensive knowledge of the design and construction industry standards and regulations that provide safe access for disabled pedestrians.

Certain circumstances of an incident may involve issues associated with the adjacent or surrounding built environment, such as failed mechanical equipment, material failure, or construction deficiencies.  When warranted, our team of experts can evaluate these contributing conditions to determine whether or not they were a cause or factor in a premises incident.

Barricades are used to prevent entry where a hazard or danger is present.  They may be permanent or temporary.  Our experts can evaluate whether a barricade was necessary for a particular location or condition, assess the effectiveness of a barrier, and determine barrier compliance with codes, standards, and practices.

Building codes specify the minimum requirements for the built environment to ensure public safety. If you require an evaluation of the code to determine design/construction compliance or relating to maintenance, our team of experts can assist.  With years of practical experience researching and analyzing Building Codes and code-referenced standards, our architectural, engineering, and construction experts can provide a thorough evaluation of a building’s compliance and relevant building codes.

With experience in all areas of the building design process our experts have the knowledge to assist with issues involving premises design, construction standards and practices.  In addition, we are experienced in determining the compliance of a professional’s work product that was released for construction.

Guards are used to minimize the likelihood of falls from a higher walking-surface to a lower level.  Handrails provide support, guidance, and a grasping surface along stair runs, ramps, and other changes in elevation.  Handholds are a local grasping surface for support where a handrail or guardrail is not present.  Our experts can determine the requirements of codes or warrants of practices for guards, handrails, and handholds at a particular location and for specific circumstances of use.  When applicable, this includes evaluating the ability to reach for, grasp, and attain a power grip of a rail/handhold.

Certain incidents along a means of egress route, work environment, parking lot, or other exterior environments may warrant the investigation of illumination.  Our experts have experience in the requirements for illumination in design, construction, and maintenance of the built environment to permit safe use of a facility or area.

During exit from a structure, an unobstructed path to exit is required.  The means of egress path to the public way is specifically addressed by building codes and includes requirements for design, construction, and maintenance.  In addition, to protect the civil rights of disabled pedestrians, certain means of egress may be required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Our experts can determine the applicable building code or design practices associated with a particular date of construction or the date of an incident.

Matters such as walking-surface safety, illumination, pavement markings, signage, and traffic flow require specialized attention.  Our experts have experience in the integrated conditions of parking lots and garages that have a combined use requiring attention for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The practice of properly managing and maintaining a property can have an impact on premises safety.  With years of experience in the construction and maintenance of buildings and properties, our architectural and engineering experts can provide a thorough evaluation of a building’s or property’s compliance with property maintenance codes and standards.

When a slip, trip or fall occurs, our experts can analyze the mechanics of the incident to determine whether the built environment was a cause or factor.  The examination of the incident site and/or documentation of the incident site conditions are used to determine whether a hazard was present.  Our experts can evaluate design, construction, and maintenance practices that may be applicable to the incident location.  When applicable, slip-resistance testing of the walking-surface can be performed to establish whether the walking-surface reasonably complied with codes, standards and practices, and the interaction of the incident footwear with the walking-surface can be evaluated.

The presence of snow and ice relates not only to weather, but also to the condition of the built environment, such as grades/slopes, roof drainage discharge, and surface clearing and treatment.  Our experts are experienced in determining whether or not a site condition was a factor in ice formation.  Certain ice or snow matters include the investigation by our meteorologist or a thermodynamic analysis

Falls on stairs, in particular during descent, can result in serious injury.  Our experts can determine whether a stair exposed pedestrians to risk of harm and whether such condition was a cause or factor in a fall.  The mechanics of a fall, an injury, and stair geometry can be evaluated to determine whether the incident events caused the injury.  The presence or absence of a guardrail, handrail, and/or handhold will be evaluated, as discussed in Guards, Handrails, and Handholds.  When applicable, stair illumination will be addressed to determine code compliance.

When issues involve the suitability of the design of the built environment to its intended use, our experts have the knowledge and experience to analyze the built environment in relationship to prevailing design standards and practices to establish a design professional’s compliance with the Standard of Care that would be applicable to the date of construction

Structures fail for a variety of causes, including overload, underdesign, improper construction, or inadequate maintenance.  Our experts have investigated failures ranging from total collapse, to partial collapse, to settlement and cracking, and water intrusion.

Warning Signs and Visual Cues can be markings, signs, or conditions of the built environment that identify or define a condition of the property.  Our experts can assess warnings or cues that may be associated with an incident.  We have the experience in the design, construction, and maintenance of warnings and visual cues associated with walking, working, roadways, and other pedestrian environments to assist in your matter.