Construction Fall Injuries
Construction Fall Injuries
Occupational injuries caused by construction falls are a serious concern in New York. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012 witnessed 22 construction fall accidents in New York – some of which proved fatal. As a construction worker, you take the proper safety measures and obey the rules of your job site, but accidents still occur – often with catastrophic results to you and your family.
Some of the most serious accidents include slips from scaffolds, which claim the lives of construction workers every year. Workers who survive a construction fall accident are often left with grave injuries, life-long disabilities and staggering medical bills.
The New York personal injury attorneys of The Sanders Firm are committed to defending the rights of all construction workers who have been injured in a construction site fall. We have years of expertise built on trying construction accident lawsuits in New York and obtaining multi-million dollar settlements and court awards on behalf of our clients.
Have you been injured falling from a ladder, unsafe scaffold or other high location while working at a construction site? If so, you may be eligible for significant compensation. Having the right NY construction accident lawyer on your side can make all the difference regarding the outcome of your case.
Types of construction fall injuries
Unfortunately, the majority of construction workers who fall on a job site do so from hundreds of feet up, often resulting in severe injuries or death. Falling from a high location on a construction can cause many forms of debilitating bodily injury including:
- Broken bones
- Joint dislocations
- Contusions
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Crushed or severed spinal cords
- Compression fractures
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injury
- Paralysis, including paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Deep lacerations
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NY construction workers killed in recent falls
A Manhattan office building on West 33rd Street was the site of a gruesome construction fall this past April. The construction worker suffered fatal injuries when he fell ten stories from the roof of the Midtown building. Authorities are still investigating the case to ensure that contractors have complied with all safety regulations. Last November of 2013, another two workers died in construction accident falls – one from an NYU-owned building in Greenwhich Village and the other while installing a roof in Pulaski. Twenty-three year-old Kyle Brown was pronounced dead at the hospital after he plunged a mere 25 feet while working on an F.X. Caprarar building. After investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Brown’s employer, general construction contractor MTL Design Inc., failed to provide and ensure the use of fall protection safeguards that would have prevented his wrongful death.
OSHA has since cited the Watertown-based contractor for a “willful and a serious violation,” forcing the company to pay nearly $90,000 for the worker’s death. According to a regional press release issued by OSHA, the organization found that “while Brown was wearing a fall protection harness, it was useless, as the workers were not provided with a means to connect to an independent anchorage point to stop a fall. The company failed to train employees to recognize fall hazards, ensure adequate anchorage for lifelines and secure the decking against displacement by the wind.”
Liability in a New York construction accident
Section 240 of New York Labor Law – also referred to as the scaffold law — serves to protect fallen workers in the aftermath of an accident. In many situations, it enables victims to recover damages for their lost income, pain and suffering and related medical expenses, even if they were partially responsible for their own fall. In cases where inadequate training was provided, safety barricades were missing, or other compliance regulations were breached, the construction site owner, as well as general contractor may be held legally accountable for the worker’s injuries and economic losses.
Attorneys at The Sanders Firm are experts in New York construction law, including the New York Labor Law and OSHA regulations for construction sites, and will ensure that victims are properly compensated for their personal injuries and financial losses. Over the past 46 years, our lawyers have helped countless families in the greater NYC area obtain justice in the wake of a serious or deadly construction site fall.
According to OSHA, construction fall-related hazards frequently include:
- Unprotected roof edges and floor openings
- Improper scaffold construction
- Unguarded protruding rebars
- Unsafe ladders
When adequate safeguards are not in place, it becomes important to isolate which party is responsible for that failure and hold them liable for any resulting injuries.
At The Sanders Law Firm, Success Is A Tradition
Founded in 1967, The Sanders Law Firm has flourished into one of New York’s most successful personal injury practices, with an accomplished team of attorneys, paralegals, health care consultants, and support staff. Our trial attorneys take new cases on a contingency basis, which means there is no cost to the client unless we secure monetary damages on your behalf.
Our personal injury law firm continues to make its industry-leading legal services even better, and hire attorneys and staff that enable us to serve a more diverse population.
At The Sanders Firm, there is never any charge to evaluate your case. We have helped thousands of injured clients throughout New York City, Long Island, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, and we’re prepared to help you too. In just the last five years we have procured over $100 million dollars on behalf of our clients, thanks to our vast resources and experienced attorneys. Our personal injury law firm continues to make its industry-leading legal services even better, and hire attorneys and staff that enable us to serve a more diverse population.
To set up your free, no-obligation case review with a New York personal injury lawyer, please call (516) 591-3208 or contact us using our online form. Our friendly staff is standing by to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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The Sanders Law Firm is a New York personal injury practice with offices in Long Island, Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.