Paulo Cuoto, 54, of Howell, New Jersey, was fatally injured in a construction accident in Astoria, Queens, after he was struck in the head by a falling piece of equipment. According to a report in the Queens Post, Cuoto, a married father of two was working on a water sewage system more than 100 feet underground. Police responded to a 911 call the morning of Oct. 7 regarding the injured man at a worksite near the intersection of 31st Street and 34th Avenue. Police said Cuoto was employed with a private company and was working on the water sewage system when a piece of equipment fell and struck him.
Emergency personnel responded and pronounced him dead at the scene. According to police, the equipment that fell and struck Cuoto was a mechanical winch, which is a machine that lifts heavy objects by rope or chains. Officials are still looking into what caused the piece of equipment to fall down the shaft and fatally strike Cuoto. The investigation into this construction accident is ongoing. We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of Paulo Cuoto for their tragic loss.
Struck-By Injuries in Construction
In the construction industry, injuries that result from being struck by equipment are a significant safety concern. This type of an incident, known commonly as a “struck-by” accident, is one of the four leading causes of death in construction along with falls, electrocution, and caught-in/between incidents. These accidents are often termed the “Fatal Four” by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Struck-by accidents can occur when a worker is hit by heavy machinery, tools, or materials, which may be moving, flying, or swinging.
The equipment and sources of struck-by injuries in construction include cranes, forklifts, excavators, and other heavy equipment. Workers are also at risk from hand tools like hammers, nail guns, or from falling objects such as materials being hoisted or debris from overhead structures. These incidents can result in a range of injuries — from minor cuts and bruises to severe trauma, including fractures, head injuries, and in extreme cases, fatalities.
The causes of such accidents can vary but as New York personal injury attorneys, we often see a lack of adequate safety measures, poor communication between equipment operators and workers, or improper use of equipment as recurring factors. For example, workers may be positioned too close to operating machinery, unaware of the equipment’s blind spots, or not wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hard hats.
In order to minimize the risk of struck-by injuries, construction sites must follow strict safety protocols. These include ensuring that equipment operators are properly trained and certified; implementing barriers and warning systems to keep workers out of hazardous zones; and regularly inspecting equipment for malfunctions.
Compensation for Injured Workers
An injured worker in New York City may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Workers’ compensation provides medical treatment, a little wage replacement, and other benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. In addition, workers may also be able to file a third-party claim against a negligent (careless) party other than the employer or co-employees for significant monetary damages and have two sources of compensation available for their losses. Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, construction companies, sub-contractors, building owners, managing agents etc. In cases where a worker dies from injuries suffered on the job, surviving family members may seek death benefits through workers’ compensation and/or file a wrongful death claim against a third party who may be held liable for the fatal incident.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a struck-by accident or any type of 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, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. For over 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses.
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.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://queenspost.com/construction-worker-killed-in-astoria-after-piece-of-equipment-strikes-him-in-head-nypd