Five workers were hospitalized after an elevator collapse at the Turning Stone Resort Casino construction site the afternoon of Jan. 13 in Verona, New York. According to a report on Syracuse.com, four of the workers were treated and released while one man remained hospitalized in stable condition. Construction crews were removing the elevator when it fell from the second floor and injured the five workers below, based on the news report.
Accident Occurred During Elevator’s Disassembly
The elevator had been in use for about a year as crews worked to build a hotel as part of a $370-million expansion project at the casino, officials said. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been in contact with the project’s contractors and has begun an investigation into this construction accident.
According to WKTV.com, officials also provided an update saying that the construction accident was not related to the building and that the elevator had been operating to get workers and materials up and down. The accident, they said, occurred during the subcontractor’s disassembling of the elevator, which is what investigators are reviewing at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured construction workers, and we wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Struck-by Accidents at Construction Sites
Construction accidents involving struck-by injuries pose some of the most serious hazards at worksites. These injuries tend to occur when workers are hit by moving vehicles, falling tools, swinging equipment or flying debris, etc. Construction zones are busy environments where heavy machinery, cranes and trucks, etc. operate, often simultaneously. Poor communication, lack of visibility, and failure to follow safety procedures in such settings often contribute to such accidents. Workers not wearing proper personal protective equipment, such as hard hats and high-visibility vests, etc. are especially vulnerable.
Struck-by incidents can result in severe injuries, including fractures, head trauma, internal injuries or even fatalities. Preventing these accidents requires thorough safety planning, clear signage, controlled traffic routes and regular safety training for workers in a language they can comprehend. Employers must enforce equipment inspections and put safety processes and checks in place.
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, some 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.
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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