A worker was injured in a construction site accident after his boom truck was hit by a driver of a box truck. According to ABC7 New York, the incident occurred the morning of March 9 on West Houston Street in SoHo. The box truck hit the boom truck and the worker fell on impact. The driver did not stop and was last seen moving westbound, headed toward the Holland Tunnel, officials said. The injured worker was transported to an area hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. We wish the injured worker the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Hazards Involving Boom Trucks
Construction workers who operate or work near boom trucks face several serious dangers on job sites. One of the most common dangers is falls from height. Boom trucks are often used to lift workers or heavy materials to elevated areas. A slip, loss of balance or equipment malfunction can lead to severe injuries.
In roadside construction zones, boom trucks can also be struck by passing drivers. Distracted, speeding or impaired motorists may crash into parked or operating boom trucks, putting both the operator and nearby workers in danger.
Another major risk is electrocution. Boom truck booms may come into contact with overhead power lines if proper safety distances are not maintained. This can result in life-threatening electrical shocks or fires. Workers also face the danger of falling objects. Materials being lifted by the boom can shift, break loose or drop unexpectedly, putting nearby workers at risk of serious injury.
Compensation for Injured Workers
When a construction worker is injured on the job, the first line of financial protection is usually workers’ compensation. This system provides benefits regardless of fault, covering medical expenses, a portion of lost wages and rehabilitation costs. In cases of permanent disability, workers’ compensation may also provide long-term or lifetime benefits. However, workers’ compensation does not cover pain and suffering and benefits are often limited compared to the full extent of losses. The large verdicts and settlements occur when others are sued in third-party cases.
In some situations, injured workers may also pursue a third-party lawsuit in addition to workers’ compensation. These claims arise when someone other than the employer or co-employees — such as a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner and manager — contributed to the accident. For example, if a defective elevator caused injuries and damages, the manufacturer may be held liable. Third-party lawsuits can provide compensation for damages not covered by workers’ compensation, including pain and suffering, emotional distress and full lost earnings, and these verdicts and settlements can be quite large.
Hit-and-Run Compensation
In cases where construction workers are injured in a hit-and-run collision, the driver and vehicle owner are both responsible parties even if the owner was not driving when the accident occurred. If the driver was on the job and/or operating a company vehicle at the time, his or her employer can also be held liable. When the driver is apprehended in a hit-and-run case, he or she and the owner of the vehicle can be held financially liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused.
Such drivers can be held financially responsible whether or not they are arrested and/or charged. If a hit-and-run driver has injured you, please remember that you can seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of your auto insurance policy (even though the driver has not been identified) or through a quasi-state agency if there is no motor vehicle in the victim’s household. But it is best to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer right away to protect your rights.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
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. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
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, paraplegia cases and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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