A worker was injured in a construction accident in upper Manhattan after he fell 30 feet down a manhole. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the 35-year-old man was working at the Bard-Haven Towers on Haven Avenue near West 170th Street in Washington Heights when he fell into the open manhole the morning of Nov. 20. Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows Emergency Service Unit officers had set up a temporary tripod frame and a winch, the Daily News reports.
Dramatic Rescue
They then lowered an officer down into the hole to find the construction worker on the ground below. The outlet reports that rungs on the side of the underground tunnel had rotted away near the bottom making it difficult to climb down. Officers lowered an FDNY firefighter and then a backboard before hoisting the injured worker back up. An officer can be heard saying on the video that the worker was “good” before handing him over to emergency personnel and paramedics.
The victim was transported to New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center where he was reportedly treated and released. It is not clear how or why the worker fell into the hole. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured worker and we wish him the very best for a speedy and full recovery.
Worker Falls and the New York Scaffold Law
Worker falls remain one of the most common and devastating accidents in the construction industry. In New York, these incidents take on special legal significance because of Labor Law §240(1), commonly known as the “Scaffold Law.” This statute provides strong protections for workers who are required to perform tasks at elevations. When a worker falls from a ladder, scaffold, roof or other raised surface and adequate safety devices were not provided, the property owner/manager, general contractor or other parties may be held liable for the resulting injuries, damages and losses.
The Scaffold Law also seeks to ensure that workers receive proper fall-prevention equipment such as harnesses, guardrails, secured ladders and stable scaffolding. Unlike typical negligence (carelessness) claims, a victim does not need to prove that the owner or contractor, etc. was careless. Instead, the focus is on whether safety devices were missing, defective or improperly placed. Because falls often lead to severe injuries such as fractures, spinal cord injuries or brain injury, the law plays a crucial role in ensuring fair compensation.
Compensation for Injured Workers
Many construction workers in New York City such as roofers, ironworkers, steelworkers, carpenters, masons, bricklayers, painters, window washers, and electricians etc. tend to work from an elevation by using scaffolds, platforms, ladders etc. 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 — 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
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 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.
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
Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/28/construction-worker-rescued-from-manhattan-manhole-video/