Construction Worker Suffers Injuries after Falling Down Elevator Shaft

A worker was injured in a construction site accident after falling 12 feet down an elevator shaft. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the worker was helping build the new police academy at College Point Boulevard and 31st Avenue in Queens. Members of NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit got the injured man into a rescue basket and pulled him out of the shaft within a matter of minutes. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The nature and extent of his injuries is not known. Officials are still looking into how the man fell into the shaft.
The Danger of Construction Site Falls
The New York City Department of Buildings reports that there were 128 construction accidents in 2011 and 152 construction-related injuries. Also, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), out of 4,206 worker fatalities in 2010 in private industry, 774 (18.7 percent) were in construction. Falls were the leading cause of worker fatalities on construction sites accounting for 34 percent of construction accident deaths.
Federal Laws Relating to Fall Safety
Federal laws require construction sites to cover wall openings, floor holes and elevator shafts. OSHA requires employers to provide fall protection to those who are working at elevations of 6 feet or higher. Fall protection is required for anyone at any height if they are working around machinery. Employers are required to devise guardrails, safety nets, fall arrests and harnesses to prevent falls. Any floor cover must support a weight that is twice that of the load placed on it. The majority of falls at construction sites, according to OSHA, are entirely preventable.
Compensation for Injured Workers
Injured workers can seek workers’ compensation benefits from the employer. In addition, they may be able to file a third-party claim against a party other than the employer and seek compensation for damages. Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, subcontractors, building owners, manufacturers or defective products, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction 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: New York Daily News