Man Awarded $2 Million in Binghamton University Construction Accident

A New York jury has awarded a construction accident victim more than $2 million in damages stemming from his injuries in a 2010 scaffolding collapse at Binghamton University. According to a news report in Pressconnects.com, the 42-year-old man was one of six workers injured in the construction accident when a scaffolding platform slid off its supports and fell five stories to the ground. An Onondaga County jury deliberated for three hours before returning a verdict ordering the construction company, LeChase Construction, to pay the worker a little over $2 million for damages including past and future suffering, medical costs and past and future wages.
The worker suffered several serious injuries including traumatic brain injuries that resulted in headaches, dizziness and memory problems, a compound fracture of the elbow and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In November 2010, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued citations against two contractors working on the project after the accident. LeChase was not cited, but assumed liability for the incident although it did not directly employ the workers.
Statistics Involving Scaffolding Accidents
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 54 fatalities were reported in the year 2009 as a result of scaffolding accidents. In a Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) study, 72 percent of workers injured in scaffolding accidents attributed the accident either to the planking or support giving way, or to the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.
Compensation for Injured Workers
Workers who are injured in a New York scaffolding accident can seek financial compensation for their losses through workers’ compensation benefits. In many cases, additional compensation may be available by filing a third party claim. Examples of third parties include general contractors, sub-contractors, property owners and manufacturers of defective products, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a scaffolding accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York in 2010. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: Pressconnects.com