At least six workers on Long Island were hospitalized — at least three of them in critical condition — after a construction accident the afternoon of Nov. 3 when a building collapsed on top of them. According to a PIX11 news report, the storage building at 840 Middle Country Road near the border of Smithtown and St. James was under renovation when a two-story facade detached and fell.
Critical Injuries Reported
At the time, a mechanical lift with workers on it was positioned directly in front of
the wall that collapsed. Both the workers and the lift tumbled to the ground. Of the six workers who were injured, three suffered life-threatening injuries. One worker was so badly injured that he was airlifted from the scene, officials said. Eyewitnesses said there were heavy cinder blocks everywhere and thick dust, like a bomb had exploded.
A Suffolk County police officer who was in a nearby car wash ran to the men’s aid using her emergency medical training on them and calling for help immediately. Some of the workers at the site have called her a hero for the triage work she did and her speed in getting emergency personnel to transport the critically injured workers as soon as possible. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been notified and is investigating this construction accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured workers. We wish them all a quick and full recovery.
Liable Parties in Wall Collapse Incidents
There are a number of reasons why walls and structures collapse at construction sites. In some cases, these structures may be built with improper materials or with inadequate design or engineering. In other instances, there may have been poor communication between the teams working on the project. The wall may also not have been equipped with proper shoring components. Weather and water issues that weren’t properly planned for may also cause the collapse. When building and facade collapses injure workers or bystanders, the responsible parties can be held financially liable for damages.
General construction companies, managing agents, building owners, some contractors and sub-contractors have a responsibility to ensure that facades, scaffolds and other structures at a construction site are properly secured so they don’t pose a danger to workers, visitors or pedestrians at or near the worksite. If you have been injured as the result of poorly maintained or poorly secured facades, please understand that you have legal rights.
In cases where bystanders or passersby are injured by wall collapses, injured parties can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injury, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as lost future income, funeral costs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc. Liable parties may include construction companies, general contractors, sub-contractors, property or building owners/managers, manufacturers of defective products, etc.
Contacting a Construction Accident Lawyer
Construction workers who have been injured in fall-related accidents may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, which covers medical expenses and a portion of lost wages. In addition, workers may also be able to file a third-party claim against a negligent (careless) party other than the employer or co-employees for significant monetary damages and have two sources of compensation available for their losses. Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, construction companies, sub-contractors, building owners, managing agents etc.
If you have suffered injuries in a construction-related 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, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 51 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker (an undocumented immigrant) who was injured on the job — one of the highest construction case settlements in New York that year. Our law firm also recovered $3,000,000 for a man who fell and suffered two broken legs when he walked into an open elevator shaft. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases in New York, 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 TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Sources: https://pix11.com/news/local-news/long-island/building-collapse-on-long-island-injures-multiple-people-police/
https://patch.com/new-york/smithtown/6-injured-building-collapse-long-island