An MTA construction worker was injured after falling into a 10-foot trench in East Harlem, triggering a complex FDNY rescue operation. According to a Fox5 news report, emergency crews arrived within three minutes of receiving a 911 call about a worker trapped in a ditch at the intersection of 108th Street and Second Avenue the morning of July 8. Video from the scene showed first responders and the construction crew gathered at the Second Avenue Subway construction project site.
Injury and Ongoing Investigation
The news outlet reported that to safely extract the victim, a high-point rigging system was set up over the trench. Emergency crews were then lowered using specialized ropes and pulled out the injured worker. Crews also had to monitor air quality inside the space and make sure that all electrical and gas utilities were completely turned off before sending emergency crews into the trench.
The worker was successfully rescued, raised out of the trench, and placed onto a stretcher, according to the report. Officials said the worker was conscious and was immediately transported to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital for medical treatment. While officials remarked that the worker is expected to survive, they did not say how seriously he was injured. The site of the construction accident remains under observation and officials are investigating what caused the worker to fall into the trench. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured construction worker. We wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Trenches and Fall Related Injuries
Falls into unprotected trenches or from elevated work areas near excavation sites can result in major injuries or even deaths, especially when proper safety measures are not in place. Many of these accidents are preventable. Construction companies, contractors, and property owners have a responsibility to follow established safety standards including using protective trench systems, providing secure access and exit points, installing fall protection and ensuring that excavation sites are properly inspected and maintained.
When these precautions are ignored, workers and even pedestrians may be exposed to unnecessary risks. Workers who are injured in these accidents face extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages and benefits, permanent injuries and long-term physical and emotional challenges, etc.
Compensation for Injured Workers
A large number of construction workers such as ironworkers, steelworkers, carpenters, masons, laborers or electricians work from an elevation or height by using scaffolds, platforms, ladders etc. When a construction worker falls and is injured on the job, the first line of financial protection is usually workers’ compensation, which provides benefits irrespective of fault — covering medical expenses, a portion of lost wages and rehabilitation costs. 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 — such as a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner or manager — contributed to the accident. For example, if defective machinery caused the injury, 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.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
For over 54 years, we have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. If you have suffered injuries in a construction accident, the very 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 a very 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 cases, negligence cases, motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, trip-and-fall accidents, ceiling collapse cases, lead poisoning, paraplegia cases, quadriplegia 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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Source:https://www.fox5ny.com/news/mta-construction-worker-rescued-after-falling-10-foot-trench-construction-site