Short answer. Yes, but the law channels your claim. Article 2192 says a third person injured by a construction defect may proceed only against the engineer, architect, or contractor responsible. That special rule sets the window: the defect-caused damage must arise within fifteen years of completion, and suit must be brought within the period the law fixes.
What the law says
the third person suffering damages may proceed only against the engineer or architect or contractor in accordance with said article, within the period therein fixed.
Civil Code, Article 2192 — When the Engineer or Architect Answers. Read the full provision →
Your claim runs against the building professionals
When an injury comes from a defect in how a building was designed or built, the law directs the injured outsider to the people responsible for that defect rather than leaving him to chase the current owner or occupant. Article 2192 provides that the third person suffering damages may proceed only against the engineer or architect or contractor in line with the special provision that governs their liability for construction defects. In short, the person who created the defect, not merely whoever happens to possess the structure, is the one who answers for the harm it causes.
The fifteen-year responsibility window
That special rule ties liability to a defined period. An engineer or architect is answerable when a building collapses or is damaged because of a defect in the plans, specifications, or supervision within fifteen years from the completion of the structure. The contractor is responsible on the same footing, and also where the damage flows from defects in the construction itself or from the use of inferior materials. So the defect-caused failure must show itself within that fifteen-year span for the professionals' special responsibility to attach to it at all.
The time limit to sue
Being within the responsibility window is only half the picture; you also have to act in time. Article 2192 says the injured third person may proceed against the professionals within the period therein fixed by the governing rule. Under that rule the action must be brought within ten years following the collapse of the building or the damage complained of. Miss that deadline and the claim is lost, however clear the defect may have been, so an injured person should move promptly once the damage appears.
Who is liable, and for what
Responsibility follows the role each professional played. The engineer or architect answers for defects in the plans, specifications, or their supervision of the work; the contractor answers for defects in the actual construction and for using materials of inferior quality. Where the same person acted in more than one capacity, liability tracks each function. For an injured person the practical steps are to identify who was responsible for the specific defect, confirm the structure is within the fifteen-year window, and file suit before the deadline runs.