Compensation for Injured Window Washers in New York City

The work of New York City window washers can be considered among the more hazardous in the country. New York State laws specifically protect window washers by mandating safety measures such as providing secure ladders, safety vests, lifelines and harnesses. A number of window washing accidents in New York City are caused by defective or inadequate safety devices.

Labor Laws that Protect Window Washers
New York Labor Law Section 240: Under New York Labor Law Section 240, “all contractors and owners and their agents” who contract workers to clean a building or structure must furnish or erect scaffolding, hoists, stays, ladders, slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, braces, irons, ropes and other devices, which will give protection to the workers. In such cases, it is the building owner’s responsibility to ensure that the worker has adequate safety devices and fall protection.
New York Labor Law Section 202: This law requires the owner, lessee, agent and manager of every public building and every contractor involved in the project to provide workers with safe means for cleaning of windows and exterior surfaces of buildings. The law further states that the owner, lessee, manager or superintendent of any such building and every contractor involved “shall not require, permit, suffer or allow” any window to be cleaned until window washers can work safely. The New York Industrial Code also requires that building have anchors fixed to the wall to prevent window washers from falling.
Compensation for Injured Workers
Injured window washers can seek workers’ compensation benefits from their employers to cover medical expenses and a portion of lost wages. In addition, they can file a third-party claim against an entity other than the employer who may have caused or contributed to the incident and the resulting injuries, for many types of significant money damages. Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, sub-contractors, property owners, manufacturers of defective products, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a workplace 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 worker who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York in 2010.
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 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 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